According to the business leaders interviewed in May 2012, the situation in the retail trade and in the trade and repair of motor vehicles is less favorable again: the synthetic indicator declines and finds the low level of February-March 2012.
Recent sales have slowed down, mainly in retail trade. In the whole retail trade and trade and repair of motor vehicles, this decreasing would go on, as expected sales and ordering intentions point it. Each of the two balances is now under its average.
General business equally drops, sign that the retailers are more pessimistic about the economic situation in the trade sector.
Business climate synthetic indicator

Recent sales and ordering intentions

| Balances of opinion, in %, s.a. | |||||
| (1) Average since 1991 (2004 for recent and expected sales and ordering intentions). | |||||
| (2) Bi-monthly question (odd-numberred months). | |||||
| Source : monthly survey in the retail trade and in the trade and repair of motor vehicles - INSEE | |||||
| Ave. (1) | Feb 12 | March 12 | April 12 | May 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business climate | 100 | 90 | 94 | 99 | 92 |
| General business outlook | 29 | 47 | 37 | 32 | 40 |
| Recent sales | 4 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 15 |
| Expected sales | 1 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 7 |
| Ordering intentions | 7 | 16 | 15 | 9 | 17 |
| Stocks | 11 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 19 |
| Past selling prices (2) | 6 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Expected selling prices | 2 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Cash position (2) | 14 | 22 | 22 | ||
| Workforce size: recent trend | 1 | 8 | 5 | 7 | 8 |
| Workforce size: future trend | 2 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 8 |
n° 129 - May 24, 2012
Monthly survey of retailing - May 2012
Next issue June 25, 2013 08:45 - June 2013
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