Mastercard is launching a new version of SpendingPulse™ for Brazil. SpendingPulse™ is a platform that provides estimates and insights on retail sales activities at national, regional, and local levels. Using aggregated and anonymized data from Mastercard and models representing all payment types, the platform helps businesses improve performance based on macroeconomic indicators. For the relaunch in Brazil, there will be breakdowns by regions and over 50 mesoregions in the Southern and Southeastern states.
Available to clients in 19 countries worldwide, the platform provides daily information on consumer spending across various retail and service segments, such as supermarkets, electronics, clothing, restaurants, and lodging. On average, SpendingPulse captured 1.2 billion transactions per month and represented 3.4 trillion reais in retail sales in 2024. Clients who acquire SpendingPulse can view an interactive platform with key indicators and a detailed monthly report. The exclusive insights on consumer spending and the expertise of leading economists provide a comprehensive view of consumption trends, aiding strategic decisions for businesses, analysts, and policymakers.
According to Gustavo Arruda, Chief Economist for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) at the Mastercard Economics Institute (MEI), the platform uses advanced models that anonymously consider both online and in-store retail activities. ‘SpendingPulse™ offers clients a better understanding of Brazilian consumers’ shopping habits in essential and non-essential spending, enabling clients to align their operational strategies with identified changes,’ he comments.
Retail sales in April 2025
According to Mastercard SpendingPulse™, total retail sales in Brazil increased by 10.9% in April compared to the same period last year. The best-performing sectors during the month included lodging (21.4%), supermarkets (17.2%), and appliances (16.7%), all showing double-digit growth compared to the previous year. The Easter holiday partly explains the strong annual performance.
As explained by Gustavo, the strong performance of Santa Catarina state (21.1%), followed by Rio Grande do Sul state (17.9%), helps explain part of the overall performance. In the sectoral breakdown, the food sector showed significant results across the board.
In the case of food, the results show regional differences. While Santa Catarina (26.6%), Espírito Santo (23.0%), and Rio Grande do Sul (19.7%) led the results, Brasília (13.3%), Pernambuco (13.0%), and Maranhão (13.0%) balanced the performance.
Gustavo also mentioned that the results reflect different price dynamics. According to IBGE, general retail inflation is around 6.2%, with supermarket prices at 6.5% annually.
