Commercial sales at Easter are expected to grow 4.5% and reach R$3.44 billion

Brazilian commerce expects total revenue of R$3.44 billion in sales related to Easter. This represents a growth of 4.5% compared to last year, already discounted for inflation. The estimate was released this Wednesday (13) by the National Confederation of Commerce in Goods, Services and Tourism (CNC) and covers typical items such as chocolate, cod and wine.

Easter is the sixth most relevant commemorative date for commerce. If expectations are confirmed, it will be the fourth consecutive year of high sales. The growth trajectory that had been observed since 2016 was only interrupted in 2020, the year in which the Covid-19 pandemic began, which severely affected the entire economy.

Four states should account for more than half (51%) of total expected sales: São Paulo (R$ 948.08 million), Minas Gerais (R$ 352.57 million), Rio de Janeiro (R$ 243.19 million ) and Rio Grande do Sul (R$ 194.18 million).

Regarding the annual evolution of revenue, the biggest highlights are Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais, with growth of 7.4% and 7.2%, respectively.

The CNC survey shows that this year’s Easter is accompanied by a large increase in imports of items typical of the period. Foreign purchases of chocolate are expected to reach 3.35 thousand tons, an increase of 21.4% compared to 2023. In the case of cod, there should be a more significant growth, 61.9%. There are 7.12 thousand tons, the largest import recorded since the survey began in 1997.

Pricing

CNC research shows that prices for typical products and services will be 5.2% more expensive this year. This “Easter inflation” is higher than the official inflation accumulated in the country over 12 months, 4.5%.

The list of items includes chocolate, fish, cod, cakes, olive oil, soft drinks and water, wine and eating out. The only thing that should be cheaper this year is cod, with a 3.2% drop in price.

The big villain is olive oil, which was 45.7% more expensive compared to last Easter.

According to the CNC, the appreciation of the real against the dollar helped to make the prices of imported products cheaper. The exchange rate, which on the eve of Easter 2023 was R$5.20, is currently close to R$5 – a decline of almost 4.3%.