Growth was driven by sales of pharmacies, cosmetics, furniture and household appliances Inter TV Cabugi/Reproduction Retail trade in Rio Grande do Norte recorded the 14th consecutive month of growth and, in 2026, will see an increase almost three times higher than the national average. In May, retail sales in Rio Grande do Norte grew 1.4% compared to the same month last year. From January to May, the increase reached 5%, while the national average was 1.7%. The performance was mainly driven by sales of pharmacies, cosmetics, furniture and household appliances in May. ? Click here to follow the g1 RN channel on WhatsApp In the year to date, growth was sustained mainly by the fuel and supermarket segments, according to Fecomércio RN. The data comes from an analysis by the Instituto Fecomércio RN (IFC), based on the Monthly Commerce Survey (PMC), released by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE). RN has the 9th highest growth rate in the country With the May result, Rio Grande do Norte recorded the 9th highest retail growth rate among the 27 Brazilian states and the 3rd highest in the Northeast, behind only Pernambuco (7.4%) and Ceará (2.6%). According to Fecomércio, the growth also occurred on a high comparison basis, since, in May 2025, retail in Rio Grande do Norte had advanced 4%. Among the segments that contributed to trade performance are household appliances. Demand for televisions increased during the first half of the year, driven by the World Cup. Meanwhile, the national result was limited mainly by the falls recorded in the Southeast states, especially in São Paulo. Services also grew In addition to commerce, the services sector also showed positive performance in the state. According to Fecomércio, there was growth of 1.8%, driven mainly by waste collection, hospitality and telemarketing activities. The expectation is that the second half of the year will maintain the pace of growth, driven by commemorative dates and increased consumption. Expanded retail remains on the rise The so-called expanded retail, which includes the sale of vehicles, motorcycles, parts, construction materials and specialized wholesale in food and beverages, also registered growth in the state. In May, the increase was 0.4%. Despite the more moderate performance, influenced by the drop in wholesale sales, the segment accumulates growth of 3.3% in 2026.