Sales of Brazil's supermarket sector up 2 pct in 1st half of year

Source: Xinhua | 2018-08-02

Sales of Brazil's supermarket sector increased by 2 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2018, the Brazilian Supermarket Association (ABRAS) announced Tuesday.

Nominal values of sales rose by 5.37 percent year-on-year from January to June this year.

Sales fell by 0.7 percent in June month-on-month, but increased by 3.37 percent year-on-year, with nominal values of sales rising 0.55 percent month-on-month and 7.89 percent year-on-year, according to ABRAS's sales index.

The June figures were a direct result of the nationwide truck drivers' strike, which paralyzed Brazil in late May, said ABRAS's representative Marcio Milan.

"We already expected a sales fall compared with the previous month," Milan said. "The sector suffered with shortages of some products, and that was reflected in June's negative figures."