Statistics Explained

Archive:Specialised in-store non-food retail trade statistics - NACE Rev. 1.1

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Data from January 2009. Most recent data: Further Eurostat information, Main tables and Database.

This article belongs to a set of statistical articles which analyse the structure, development and characteristics of the various economic activities in the European Union (EU). According to the statistical classification of economic activities in the EU (NACE Rev 1.1), the present article covers specialised in-store non-food retail trade, corresponding to NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4, which are part of the retail trade and repair sector. The activities covered in this article are:

  • dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles (NACE Group 52.3);
  • other specialised in-store retailing of new goods (NACE Group 52.4), such as shops selling clothes, shoes, furniture, books or electrical items.

This sub-sector does not include the retailing of second-hand goods in stores, which is covered in the article on second-hand goods in-store retail trade.

Table 1: Specialised in-store new goods retailing other than food (NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4). Structural profile, EU-27, 2006

Main statistical findings

Structural profile

Table 2: Specialised in-store new goods retailing other than food (NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4). Structural profile: ranking of top five Member States in terms of value added and persons employed, 2006
Figure 1: Specialised in-store new goods retailing other than food (NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4). Breakdown of turnover, 2006 (%) (1)
Figure 2: Specialised in-store new goods retailing other than food (NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4). Index of turnover, EU-27 (2000=100)

In 2006, the EU-27’s sector of specialised retailing other than food (NACE Groups 52.3 and 52.4) consisted of 2.0 million enterprises which generated in excess of EUR 1 000 billion of turnover and EUR 210.9 billion of value added (2005). As such, this sector contributed more than half (53.8 %) of the total value added generated in the EU-27’s retail trade and repair sector (NACE Division 52).

The sector of specialised retailing other than food employed 8.6 million persons in 2006, equivalent to 49.0 % of the EU-27's retail trade and repair total. Paid employees accounted for 78.6 % of all persons employed in 2006, close to the retail trade and repair average. The paid employment rate was highest (87.5 %) in the activity of dispensing chemists (NACE Class 52.31), and lowest (52.4 %) for the retail sale of textiles (NACE Class 52.41).

Among the two NACE groups that make up specialised retailing other than food, the subsector concerning other specialised retailing of new goods (NACE Group 52.4) was by far the largest in terms of value added and employment, contributing at least four fifths of the sectoral total for both of these indicators.

Turning to the Member States, specialised retailing other than food was largest in Germany in terms of value added and employment, followed by the United Kingdom. The contribution of both of these Member States was a little under one fifth of the EU-27 value added total, while they contributed less in employment terms. In terms of this sector's contribution to non-financial business economy value added, Greece and Cyprus were the most specialised Member States [1], as this sector accounted for around 6.5 % of their non-financial business economy value added. When looking at a breakdown of retailing turnover among four main groupings of non-food activities [2], the specialised retailing of household equipment (NACE Classes 52.44 to 52.46) was the largest in 14 of the Member States, reaching a 48.0 % share in Estonia. The specialised retailing of books, newspapers and other items (NACE Classes 52.47 and 52.48) was the largest in the remaining 11 Member States, with Poland recording a 43.5 % share of specialised retailing other than food in these activities. Turning to the smaller groupings, specialised retailing of textiles, clothing, footwear and leather goods (NACE Classes 52.41 to 52.43) generated close to 30 % of turnover in the United Kingdom and Greece, while dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles (NACE Group 52.3) contributed more than one quarter of the sector's value added in Hungary and Germany.

Annualised short-term statistics show the turnover index in the two NACE groups covered by the EU-27's sector of specialised retailing other than food. In both activities there was uninterrupted growth over the period 1997 to 2007. Dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles recorded average turnover growth of 4.9 % per year over the period observed. In contrast, sales grew at a somewhat slower pace for other specialised retailing of new goods, with average growth of 3.4 % per year (below the 3.6 % average for the whole of retail trade and repair).

Expenditure and productivity

Specialised retailing other than food had the second highest level of tangible investment in the EU-27's retail trade and repair sector in 2006, valued at EUR 27.0 billion, 44.0 % of the retail trade and repair total. The investment rate was 11.7 % in 2005, 3.0 percentage points below the retail trade and repair average. Dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles recorded an investment rate of just 6.6 % in 2006, in contrast to the rate of 13.0 % (in 2005) recorded for other specialised retailing of new goods.

An analysis of operating expenditure shows that in the EU-27’s sector of specialised retailing other than food some 14.0 % of the total was dedicated to personnel costs in 2005, a share rising to 14.3 % for other specialised retailing of new goods, and dropping to 13.4 % in 2006 for dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles.

With apparent labour productivity of EUR 25.4 thousand per person employed in 2005 and personnel costs of EUR 18.9 thousand per employee, the wage-adjusted labour productivity ratio in the EU-27’s sector of specialised retailing other than food averaged 134.9 %: all three of these indicators were above the retail trade and repair average in the same year. The subsector concerning dispensing chemists, retailers of medical, orthopaedic, cosmetic and toilet articles recorded higher apparent labour productivity and average personnel costs in 2006, and the wage-adjusted labour productivity ratio in this subsector reached 152.7 %.

Across all the Member States for which data are available [3], the lowest wage adjusted labour productivity ratio for specialised retailing other than food was 101.5 %, recorded in Italy. None of the Member States recorded a wage adjusted labour productivity in specialised retailing other than food that was higher than the average for the non-financial business economy, the closest being in Slovakia and France.

Data sources and availability

The main part of the analysis in this article is derived from structural business statistics (SBS), including core, business statistics which are disseminated regularly, as well as information compiled on a multi-yearly basis, and the latest results from development projects.

Other data sources include short-term statistics (STS).

Context

Retailing is typically the final stage of distribution between producers and consumers. Since the development of the Internet, there has been an increasing use of commerce via the web. As such, there has been a gradual shift from traditional methods of purchasing from stores or markets to purchasing remotely. According to Eurostat’s information society statistics, some 12 % of the turnover of distributive trades (including motor trades (NACE Division 50) and wholesale trades (NACE Division 51), as well as retail trade and repair) enterprises with ten or more persons employed was derived from e-commerce in 2008. According to the same source, one quarter of the EU-27’s population ordered or bought goods or services for private use through the Internet in 2008 (during the three months preceding the survey). Note that these figures refer to goods and services supplied to individuals by all sectors of the economy, not just enterprises that are specialised in retail sales.

In October 2008, the European Commission put forward a proposal COM(2008) 614 for a Directive on consumer rights, to try to make purchases easier and safer, whether in-store or not. The proposal covers the provision of price information, protection against late delivery and non-delivery, as well as setting out rights on issues such as cooling-off periods, returns, refunds, repairs and guarantees and unfair contract term.

This article deals with the retailing of consumer non-durable, semi-durable and durable goods. Among the retailing of non-durable goods are pharmaceuticals, cosmetics and toilet articles, while semi-durable goods include items such as clothing and footwear. Electrical household appliances and radio and television equipment are examples of durable goods. Compared with food retailing, non-food retailing is more strongly influenced by the general economic cycle. Most non-food items are bought less frequently or at a certain period of the year, although there are examples (such as newspapers) of non-durable, non-food products that are purchased on a frequent basis.

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Main tables

Database

Dedicated section

Other information

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Bulgaria, Cyprus, Poland and Romania, 2005; Malta and the Netherlands, not available.
  2. ↑ Bulgaria, Ireland and Poland, 2005; Malta and the Netherlands, not available.
  3. ↑ Bulgaria and Poland, 2005; Malta and the Netherlands, not available.
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