Mother’s Day Shoppers Favor Stores and PIX as Brazil Retail Braces for Modest Gain

Overview

• FecomercioSP, which on Wednesday projected a 3% rise in São Paulo’s holiday sales to about R$82 billion, tracks local gains signaled by Piracicaba at 4% and Limeira at 5%.
• Surveys point to broad participation, with Instituto Locomotiva estimating 143 million buyers and FGV Ibre’s purchase‑impulse index at 85.7, while high interest and debt push spending toward beauty, apparel and other lower‑ticket gifts.
• Most gift buyers plan to shop in person, with ACSP/PiniOn finding 62.1% favor stores and other studies citing malls as the top channel, and last‑minute trips concentrating decisions in the final days.
• Retailers are stretching hours Friday and Saturday and leaning on WhatsApp selling, payment links secured by 3‑D Secure, AI recommendations and fraud controls to close fast, late‑stage purchases.
• Digital payments continue to spread, with a TIM Ads survey in Rio showing PIX as the leading intended method at 37%, and more shoppers opting to pay upfront rather than finance larger items.