According to the managers interviewed in October 2012, the business climate remains deteriorated in the retail trade and in the trade and repair of motor vehicles: the synthetic indicator stays still significantly under its long-term average. The situation is better in retail trade than in trade and repair of motor vehicles.
Business leaders have been as many than in the last survey, to declare a decrease of their past sales, of their expected sales and of their ordering intentions. Each of the three balances is still very low under its mean level.
The general business outlook still stays at a low level, sign that the retailers remain 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) | July 12 | Aug 12 | Sept. 12 | Oct. 12 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business climate | 100 | 89 | 92 | 87 | 89 |
| General business outlook | 29 | 47 | 44 | 50 | 47 |
| Recent sales | 5 | 20 | 8 | 24 | 21 |
| Expected sales | 1 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 18 |
| Ordering intentions | 8 | 15 | 15 | 21 | 20 |
| Stocks | 11 | 14 | 8 | 13 | 12 |
| Past selling prices (2) | 6 | 6 | 5 | ||
| Expected selling prices | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 7 |
| Cash position (2) | 14 | 24 | 25 | ||
| Workforce size: recent trend | 1 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| Workforce size: future trend | 2 | 15 | 10 | 9 | 6 |
n° 259 - October 23, 2012
Monthly survey of retailing - October 2012
Next issue June 25, 2013 08:45 - June 2013
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