Insee
Informations Rapides · 30 July 2021 · n° 203
Informations rapidesIn May 2021, sales volume in trade recovered Sales volume in wholesale and retail trade - May 2021

In May 2021, the volume of sales in trade picked up (+1.8%) following the sharp fall in April (−4.2%) due to the third national lockdown.

Informations rapides
No 203
Paru le :Paru le30/07/2021
Prochaine parution le : 28/08/2025 at 08:45 - June 2025
Imprimer
Découvrir la collection
Données
(xls, 298 Ko)
Warning

All data are corrected for seasonal and working day effects (SA-WDA).

In the following paragraphs, percentage changes by subsections are presented in descending order of their contribution to the overall percentage change of the volume of sales in wholesale and retail trade index. The contribution of a subsection takes into account its weight and the magnitude of its evolution.

In May 2021, the volume of sales in trade picked up (+1.8%) following the sharp fall in April (−4.2%) due to the third national lockdown.

In May 2021, a rebound in the volume of sales concentrated in retail trade

The volume of sales in retail trade bounced back markedly (+6.9% after −7.1% in April), driven in particular by the reopening of all stores on 19 May. Thus, the volume of sales recovered sharply in specialised stores (+14.8% after −13.1%). It increased moderatly in retail trade not in stores (+0.6% after −0.9%), while it kept decreasing in non-specialised stores (−1.0% after −0.5%). Within specialised stores, the volume of sales recovered in all sub-sectors, except for food, beverages and tobacco (−0.3% after +1.1%). The growth was particularly marked in "other goods" (clothing, footwear, leather goods, etc.: +19.6% after −15.5%), cultural and recreation goods (+34.6% after −23.3%) and other household equipment (furniture, appliances, hardware, etc.: +7.9% after −13.2%). Concerning automotive fuel, the volume of sales bounced back sharply (+16.6% after −11.7% in April) due to the lifting of the restrictions on movements from 3 May.

The volume of sales in wholesale trade decreased slightly in May (−0.2% after −2.4%). It fell back strongly in information and communication equipment (−7.2%) following a significant growth in April (+11.3%). On the contrary, the volume of sales rebounded sharply in non specialised wholesale trade (+5.2% after −7.6%).

In May, the volume of sales kept falling in the trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (−0.7%), but much less markedly than in April (−4.9%).

Forecast

According to early estimates, the sales volume in retail trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles is expected to have increased by 1.2% in June 2021. In the second quarter of 2021, it should have increased by 16.3% when compared with that of the second quarter of 2020, with a base effect due to the first lockdown in spring 2020.

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles
Motor vehicles and motorcycles - 45 Wholesale - 46 Retail trade - 47 Wholesale and retail trade - G
2016-01 105.29 101.76 102.41 102.4
2016-02 104.41 101.94 103.09 102.59
2016-03 105.03 102.34 102.27 102.66
2016-04 106.16 101.65 101.95 102.31
2016-05 106.08 101.81 102.78 102.64
2016-06 105.75 100.29 102.49 101.63
2016-07 103.25 100.39 102.73 101.44
2016-08 107.83 100.77 102.51 102.18
2016-09 108.37 100.82 102.89 102.39
2016-10 106.79 100.85 104.69 102.74
2016-11 110.65 103.67 103.86 104.62
2016-12 109.2 102.2 104.06 103.64
2017-01 110.61 102.3 105.04 104.16
2017-02 111.69 103.02 105.59 104.88
2017-03 113.86 104.8 105.93 106.28
2017-04 109.33 102.62 105.6 104.35
2017-05 114.69 103.97 106.26 106.01
2017-06 114.21 104.81 105.69 106.26
2017-07 114.57 106.12 107.28 107.54
2017-08 114.21 105.45 105.87 106.68
2017-09 116.36 106.06 109.27 108.32
2017-10 117.46 104.21 106.12 106.46
2017-11 117.64 106.35 109.69 108.77
2017-12 121.22 106.86 108.33 109.12
2018-01 116.99 105.19 107.78 107.45
2018-02 117.23 105.59 108.65 107.97
2018-03 119.15 105.52 110.46 108.71
2018-04 119.16 106.01 108.5 108.41
2018-05 119.73 107.32 109.8 109.63
2018-06 120.55 107.51 109.99 109.9
2018-07 118.2 105.54 109.96 108.45
2018-08 118.66 107.18 110.06 109.49
2018-09 117.84 105.21 110.09 108.26
2018-10 119.79 108.55 111.43 110.83
2018-11 117.7 107.37 110.85 109.71
2018-12 111.74 107.53 110.02 108.8
2019-01 121.36 107.62 110.9 110.33
2019-02 122.75 108.96 112.28 111.7
2019-03 121.35 108.76 111.94 111.3
2019-04 122.05 110.1 113.05 112.49
2019-05 122.92 109.88 112.28 112.25
2019-06 122.6 109.47 112.75 112.11
2019-07 123.47 109.51 111.79 111.96
2019-08 124.14 110.45 114.16 113.29
2019-09 123.78 110.56 113.16 113.01
2019-10 122.67 110.57 113.23 112.9
2019-11 124.11 110.31 114.26 113.23
2019-12 124.06 109.69 113.04 112.51
2020-01 122.59 110.46 113.94 113.03
2020-02 120.51 109.76 113.61 112.26
2020-03 64.34 95.7 95.96 91.79
2020-04 30.43 80.94 78.56 73.81
2020-05 89.24 97.14 107.63 99.23
2020-06 129.14 110.81 116.9 114.94
2020-07 134.24 110.91 112.98 114.49
2020-08 133.83 110.38 120.88 116.46
2020-09 129.43 109.78 116.69 114.32
2020-10 126.54 110.11 119.33 114.92
2020-11 107.1 107.79 100.85 105.66
2020-12 119.99 110.28 122.1 115.0
2021-01 123.73 111.43 116.9 114.61
2021-02 120.18 112.02 118.36 114.93
2021-03 124.7 112.95 120.46 116.66
2021-04 118.54 110.19 111.89 111.75
2021-05 117.76 109.94 119.61 113.79

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

  • Sources: DGFiP, INSEE

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

SA-WDA volume, Base year 2015
Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (SA-WDA volume, Base year 2015)
Nace Classification Weight May 2021 Change in %
May 2021/Apr 2021 Apr 2021/Mar 2021 May 2021/Feb. 2020 q-o-q(1) y-o-y(2)
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 10000 113.8 1.8 -4.2 1.4 -0.7 29.2
45 Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 1272 117.8 -0.7 -4.9 -2.3 -0.8 96.2
451 Sale of motor vehicles 850 120.9 -1.2 -5.7 -3.7 -1.2 119.2
452 Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles 89 112.1 -0.1 -0.9 -0.1 -0.3 52.5
453 Sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories 306 110.5 0.8 -3.8 0.9 0.4 59.2
454 Sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles and related parts and accessories 27 119.7 1.7 -4.1 5.5 -2.7 78.3
46 Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 5777 109.9 -0.2 -2.4 0.2 -0.2 21.7
461 Wholesale on a fee or contract basis 813 114.3 -0.8 -5.0 0.5 0.2 19.5
462 Agricultural raw materials and live animals 390 80.3 -2.7 -5.7 -19.9 -4.9 -11.8
463 Food, beverages and tobacco 1029 100.2 1.2 -4.3 -3.6 1.4 12.6
464 Household goods 1130 119.2 0.5 -3.0 6.8 0.6 31.5
465 Information and communication equipment 331 136.9 -7.2 11.3 8.9 -0.5 22.8
466 Other machinery, equipment and supplies 716 114.4 1.1 1.3 0.3 -0.7 32.3
467 Other specialised wholesale 1132 104.5 -0.3 -3.4 -1.1 -0.3 28.0
469 Non specialised wholesale trade 236 117.1 5.2 -7.6 3.5 -3.0 19.1
47 Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 2952 119.6 6.9 -7.1 5.3 -1.5 24.7
471 Retail sale in non-specialised stores 1109 114.9 -1.0 -0.5 1.7 1.4 7.3
472 to 477 Retail sale in specialised stores 1622 114.4 14.8 -13.1 2.9 -5.1 38.8
472 Food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores 155 139.2 -0.3 1.1 12.8 1.2 18.9
473 Automotive fuel in specialised stores 224 84.7 16.6 -11.7 -9.4 -2.1 46.4
474 Information and communication equipment in specialised stores 65 125.4 13.9 -10.9 -6.8 -9.7 50.7
475 Other household equipment in specialised stores 310 122.6 7.9 -13.2 13.0 -4.2 68.1
476 Cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores 118 115.6 34.6 -23.3 4.0 -7.9 68.4
477 Other goods in specialised stores 750 113.6 19.6 -15.5 0.6 -6.8 28.0
478 and 479 Retail trade not in stores 221 181.6 0.6 -0.9 34.4 6.3 34.7
  • (1) Quarter-on-quarter: last three months /previous three months.
  • (2) Year-on-year: last three months / same three months of previous year
  • Sources: DGFiP, INSEE

The volume of sales of the past three months increased by 29.2% over a year

Owing to a base effect due to the first lockdown from March to May 2020, the volume of sales of the past three months (March to May 2021) in overall trade increased by 29.2% when compared with that of the same period one year earlier. It grew sharply in wholesale trade (+21.7%), in the trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+96.2%), and in retail trade (+24.7%). Within retail trade, the volume of sales increased over a year in all the sub-sectors: in specialised stores (+38.8%), in retail trade not in stores (+34.7%), and in non-specialised stores (+7.3%).

Revisions

The percentage change in the overall sales volume trade in April 2021 has been revised slightly upwards, at −4.2% instead of −4.3% initially published.

Revision of variationsin percentage points

Revision of variations
Apr/Mar Mar/Feb. Feb./Jan. Q1 2021/Q4 2020 2020/2019
G Overall trade 0.14 0.12 -0.22 -0.06 0.06
Raw series 0.28 0.08 -0.09 -0.08 0.07
SA-WDA parameters -0.14 0.04 -0.13 0.02 -0.01
  • How to read : in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, the SA-WDA variation between March and April 2021 is revised by +0.14 points. +0.28 points are due to the raw series’ revision and -0.14 points to the new calculation of the SA-WDA parameters.
  • Sources: DGFiP, INSEE

For further information

Next issue: August 31, 2021 at 12pm

Documentation

Sales volume index in trade (pdf,35 Ko)

La note méthodologique simplifiee_anglais (pdf,28 Ko)

Pour en savoir plus

Next issue: August 31, 2021 at 12pm

: bureau-de-presse@insee.fr

Time series: Sales volume in wholesale and retail trade

Time series: Turnover index in wholesale and retail trade

Publication calendar