Brazil Retail Sales Recover In August

(RTTNews) - Brazil's retail sales increased for the first time in five months as expected in August, figures from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, or IBGE, showed on Wednesday.

Retail sales rose 0.2 percent month-on-month in August, reversing a 0.2 percent fall in July.

Sales of office, computer, and communication equipment and materials showed a strong recovery of 4.9 percent over the month, and those of vehicles and motorcycles and parts and pieces grew 2.3 percent. Meanwhile, sales of books, newspapers, magazines, and stationery dropped 2.1 percent.

On a yearly basis, retail sales growth moderated to 0.4 percent from 1.2 percent.

In expanded retail, which includes vehicles, motorcycles, parts and accessories, construction materials, and wholesale of food, beverages, and tobacco products, sales volume grew 0.9 percent compared to July.