ARTICLE Perspectives of the North-American retail Part I The Annual Global Retailing of Goldman Sachs, held in New York

k in the last week is an important showcase aiming at showing what happens in the worlds greatest retail and analyze the effects in other markets and businesses since, despite of the name, the main attention is drawn to the North-American market reality. It is always a rare opportunity to gather 60 presentations and discussions involving big and medium-sized retail corporations from every industry with investors and analysts in order to show what is going on and the perspectives for the subsequent periods.

The event was important to know what they are doing and how they see the market, companies such as Walmart, Target, Costco, Macy's, Home Depot, Dollar Tree, Guess, PetSmart, Casino, JC Penney, Nordstrom, Safeway, Saks, Office Depot, Lowes, Rite Aid, Office Max, Ahold, QVC, Express, eBay and others, representing retailers from several segments with greater or lower level of internationalization and also, greater or lower expertise in multichannel, an theme increasingly relevant when it comes to retailing. Due to which is presented and discussed, new investment decisions, increase or decrease in companies interest and valuation reviews of those businesses are reviewed and as result, they influence the general business environment for the representativity of virtually 2/3 that the consumption and retail have in the North -American GDP. In the attempt of consolidating some learning obtained in the presentations, there is a list below of the topics and perceptions that may help to understand the current reality and estimate the near future.

The current increase is greater than the future in the near future. Despite of the lower increase in the sales in the last six months than the prior period, in general aspects, there is a consumption feeling and, as a result, the retail is USA is experiencing a greater increase in 2012 than the one that should be in 2013. The electoral year and a small employment recovery and other industries plus the perspective of adopting more restrict tax policies from the election of the new president produce a more optimistic view for the current period than for the future. Even if the majority of the people does not predict a direct and significant impact of the choice between one or other candidate, the measures (more restrict or flexible) in the tax scope shall be adopted depending on the election results and shall affect the economy. And, as a result, the market and the consumption; The internationalization has become something more important, although the domestic market is more important. Even with a clear perception that the search for a greater internationalization is a way with no turning back, specially because of the advance in the digital retail, the recovery of the North-American market in 2011 and 2012 has been drawn the attention of industry corporations that have

aimed at concentrating efforts for the improvement of results and performance after the recession experienced;

The digital retail changes the focus. The strong and continuous increase of the digital environment, due to its sales impact, margins and the Power of influencing the consumption in stores and other channels is an increasingly significant topic regarding the evaluation of perspectives for brands and businesses. Because of its power of changing companys and market behaviors and income and also, since brings to the environment new retail players between suppliers of products and brands plus services that now directly competes the attention and the power of purchase of consumers in a non-feasible manner in the past;

A reconfigured market. The recent recession, that still influences the employment level and consumers trust, has changed the whole market behavior with a greater attention on behalf of the consumers who own businesses and brands related to the value, making those companies that own its business template focused in this proposal may have been less affected in the recessive phase and show a better performance in the current and future scenario. Besides drawing more attention on digital channels which facilitate the price comparison and the decision making that aggregates more value to the consumer. Well continue this analysis on the next week, also integrating the information generated in the Shop.org, main event of the digital market in USA, which will be held on Monday to Friday at Denver, Colorado.

Marcos Gouva de Souza (mgsouza@gsmd.com.br) General Director of GS&MD Gouva de Souza

NEWS The Brazilian credit card market increases 20% in the second quarter The Brazilian credit card market has increased 20% in the second quarter in relation to the same period in 2011, to R$ 191 billion in the billing, according to the information provided on Wednesday (12), by the association (ABECS) that represents the industry.

According to the entity, the increase in the credit, debit and card and store market in Brazil, was supported by the emergence of new consumers in the financial system and by the acceptance expansion of cards in nontraditional niches. So Paulo Small-sized industries increase 9% According to the information provided yesterday by Sebrae-SP, the billing of micro and small-sized companies in So Paulo industry has increased 9.4% in July and in the comparison with the same month of the last year. This industry had a rise in the billing between the micro and small-sized businesses. Subsequently, the trade area with a rise of 9.2%. The service industry had a decrease of 2.8%. The first decrease since October 2009. Dudalina inaugurates the first brand store abroad This week, the Dudalina brand, one of the leaders in the fashion industry, has inaugurated the first branch abroad. The opening will be held in Milan, Italy, renowned by one of the main fashion centers in the world. For Snia Regina Hess de Souza, Companys President, this is the first step towards the opening of the international market. The Italian address counts with a shop-in-shop (minifranchise system), which will directly serve the consumer and a showroom for European shopkeepers. The middle class expands the consumption with beauty in Brazil The market of beauty products shall continue in great expansion in the next years in Brazil, strengthened by the new class of consumers verified with the new domestic and economic time. This is the survey estimate of GS&MD-Gouva de Souza, disclosed on Friday at Beauty Fair (International Beauty Trade Fair). With a closing estimate of R$ 80 billion this year, the beauty industry had a movement of R$ 73 billion in 2011, estimates that the business volume around R$ 140 million in 2017. According to the survey, the retail estimate for beauty is to increase between 10% and 30% in the next years. The evaluation indicated that

46% of the consumers are in the Southeast, Northeast, with 22%; South; 15%; Mid-West, 9% and North region, 8%. The states of the Northeast region had a great advance in the consumption in the last years and are a strong potential for the market, says the Executive that emphasizes that the emergent middle class represents 59% of the consumers in the industry. The average voucher is R$ 112, with a highlight in the makeover products which represent and sum up an average of R$ 39. In the last days, 5 millionaire projects were announced in Brazil In the last two weeks, at least 30 companies have announced investments in Brazil, according to the de Pesquisas e Estudos Econmicos do Bradesco (Department of Research and Economic Studies of Bradesco). The projects sum, at least, R$ 4.4 billion with disbursement terms from 2012 to 2016. The five greatest initiatives listed by Bradesco total 4.2 billion. Know the projects: Walmart Investment: R$ 1,3 billion Aim: Walmart intends to open 50 stores of the group in the country, including the brands Sams Club and Todo Dia. Initially, the plan was to open 30 stores. Term: 2012 Norte Brasil Transmissora de Energia Investment: R$ 1.05 billion Aim: To build an electric Power transmission line, connecting Porto Velho (RO) to Araraquara (SP). Term: from 2012 to 2013 CHS Investment: US$ 250 million (about R$505 million) Aim: The North-American company, that operates in the agroindustry has the purpose of expanding its logistic activities, focusing the North and Northeast regions. Term: not disclosed Companhia Docas do Rio de Janeiro

Investment: R$ 300 million Aim: building of a new pier in a Y shape Term: between 2012 and 2016 Global Equity Properties Investment: R$ 300 million Aim: to build a multiuse complex at Ribeiro Preto (SP). Term: not disclosed The virtual trading via smartphones shall achieve R$ 2 billion in 2013 The online sales via mobile devices (mobile commerce or m-commerce), shall present a significant increase in the country in the next months. It is estimated that this segment Will have a movement of about R$ 2 billion in 2013 (in the first six-month period in this year, was R$ 132 million). The expansion of this e-commerce segment is mainly due to the increase of the release of Web Access devices and mobile broadband. Meanwhile, the online retail Sales via smartphones and tablets represent the correspondent to 1.3% of the total e-commerce billing in the first sixmonth period that totaled R$ 10.2 billion. Up to the end of the next year, however, the total of the businesses made by the Brazilian e-commerce shall achieve about 10% of the total, as estimated by the Brazilian Chamber of E-Commerce (Cmara-e.net).