The 26th edition of the Stone Retail Index (IVS) reported a 1.9% decline in fuel and lubricants sales volume in February, compared to the previous month. However, in the annual analysis, the sector recorded the best performance for the third consecutive time, with a 4.1% increase. The study, which tracks retail activity across Brazil every month, is an initiative by Stone, a key partner for Brazilian entrepreneurs.

Sector Performance in February

Among the eight retail segments analyzed, only two showed positive results in February: Building Materials (+0.7%), Furniture and Home Appliances (+0.2%). On the other hand, four segments experienced declines: Books, Newspapers, Magazines, and Stationery (-5.9%),Hypermarkets, Supermarkets, Food, Beverages, and Tobacco (-2.6%), Pharmaceutical Products (-1.5%), Other Personal and Household Items (-0.7%). Meanwhile, the Textiles, Apparel, and Footwear sector remained stable with 0.0% variation.

Regional Highlights

In the annual comparison, only four states registered growth: Pernambuco (+1.8%), Roraima (+1.6%), Amazonas (+1.1%), Goiás (+0.1%). Espírito Santo remained stable at 0.0%.

However, several states saw negative results, with the biggest drop in Mato Grosso do Sul (-8.4%), followed by: Santa Catarina (-6.6%), Mato Grosso (-6.4%), Rondônia (-5.9%), Paraná (-5.7%), Rio Grande do Sul (-5.6%), Acre (-4.9%), Bahia (-3.4%), Tocantins (-3.1%), São Paulo (-2.8%), Pará (-2.6%),  Maranhão (-2.5%), Ceará, Piauí, and Sergipe (-1.9%), Rio de Janeiro and Paraíba (-1.7%), Amapá (-1.6%), Rio Grande do Norte (-1.5%), Minas Gerais (-1.1%),  Alagoas (-0.8%). The Federal District also saw a 3.3% decline.

The complete report is available on Stone's new content platform.