Consumption in Brazilian homes ended the first two months with a rise of 2.26%, compared to the same period in 2021, according to the Brazilian Association of Supermarkets (Abras).
According to the entity, after the beginning of the year with positive growth, but at a moderate pace, the household consumption indicator corresponds to the estimate of the supermarket sector, which predicts a rise of 2.80% for 2022.
In comparison with February 2021, the growth in consumption in homes was more expressive, at 3.98%. In relation to January, the indicator retreated 0.90%.
According to Abras, the drop is explained by the calendar effect, that is, a smaller number of days in February when compared to the previous month. All indicators were deflated by the Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA), measured by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE).
“Consumption in Homes was positive in this first two months, despite high inflation and high unemployment, says the Institutional Vice President of Abras, Marcio Milan.
One of the factors that, according to Milan, has contributed to the maintenance of family consumption is the consolidation of income transfers via social programs, such as Auxílio Brasil, which has 18 million beneficiaries in the country, with a minimum income of R$400.
“The scenario in the first two months of last year was unstable. The consumer lived in the uncertainty of receiving the emergency aid, with the end of the payment of the benefit decreed in December 2020 and the resumption only from April 2021. And this year, since February, the payment of the extraordinary benefit (Auxílio Brasil) is right for at least 18 million families across the country by the end of the year,” he says.
Another source of funds that should contribute to household consumption in the coming months is the Extraordinary Saque do Fundo de Garantia (FGTS).
According to the Ministry of Economy, around R$ 30 billion will be released to 42 million people who have resources in the Fund. The amount, of up to R$ 1 thousand, must be released between April and June. The redemption deadline is December 15th.
“The end of charging the electricity tariff flag should also contribute to consumption”, comments Milan.
high in february
AbrasMercado (basket of 35 consumer products made up of food, beverages, cleaning products and hygiene and beauty items) recorded a high of 1.33% in February compared to the previous month. With this variation, the price in the national average went from R$ 709.63 in January to R$ 719.06 in February. In the accumulated of 12 months, the national basket registers high of 13.53%.
The biggest increases in February were driven by potatoes (23.49%), beans (4.77%), onions (3.26%), eggs (2.79%) and wheat flour (2.76%).
The most significant drops were in the price of ham (-3.01%), frozen chicken (-2.29%), cheese (-0.15%), powdered soap (-0.14%) , whole milk powder (-0.05%) and pet soda (-0.05%).
In the regional analysis of the performance of the baskets, the Southeast region had the greatest variation in the average price of the basket, with an increase of 1.58%, from R$ 689.11 in January to R$ 700.00 in February.
A similar behavior occurred in the Central-West region, which registered the second largest variation in the price of the basket, 1.57%, from R$651.78 in January to R$661.99 in February.
In the other regions, the biggest monthly changes in the price of the basket were respectively: South (1.21%), Northeast (1.18%), North (1.15%). Despite the North basket having presented the smallest variation in February, the region had the most expensive basket among all regions, with an average price of R$ 792.43.
Source: CNN Brasil
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