# Brazil's retail sales volumes beat expectations and reached a record high in March.

*business · news · 2026-05-13 · MarketScreener*

## Key points

- Brazil's retail sales volumes hit a record high in March, beating analyst expectations.
- Sales rose 0.5% month-on-month, while economists had forecast no change.
- Annual retail sales increased 4.0%, surpassing the expected 2.75% growth.
- Despite gains, high borrowing costs still limit a broader retail recovery in Brazil.

SAO PAULO, May 13 (Reuters) - Brazil's retail sales volumes beat expectations and reached a record high in March, data from statistics agency IBGE showed on Wednesday, though high borrowing costs continue to restrain a broader recovery. o Sales rose 0.5% in March from the previous month, while economists polled by Reuters had expected no changes o It was the third consecutive monthly increase, with five of eight sectors posting gains o Andres Abadia, chief Latin America economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said the recovery remains gradual rather than broad-based o "Tight credit conditions and still-elevated interest rates continue to weigh on big-ticket purchases and cap the pace of expansion," he said o Brazil's central bank last month cut its benchmark interest rate by 25 basis points for a second straight meeting to 14.50% o On an annual basis, retail sales rose 4.0% in March, well above expectations for a 2.75% increase in the Reuters poll (Reporting by Isabel Teles; Editing by Gabriel Araujo)

**Countries:** Brazil

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