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Informations Rapides · 29 October 2021 · n° 287
Informations rapidesIn August 2021, sales volume in trade bounced back (+1.8%) Sales volume in wholesale and retail trade - August 2021

In August 2021, the volume of sales in trade picked up (+1.8%), following a fall in July (−3.3%).

Informations rapides
No 287
Paru le :Paru le29/10/2021
Prochaine parution le : 28/08/2025 at 08:45 - June 2025
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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.

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

In August 2021, the volume of sales in trade picked up (+1.8%), following a fall in July (−3.3%).

In August 2021, sales volume recovered in the three main trade sectors

In August 2021, the volume of sales in wholesale trade bounced back (+1.6%) after the sharp fall in July (−4.0%). It increased in household goods (+3.9% after −6.2%), and kept falling in wholesale on a fee or contract basis (−3.2% after −2.8%).

The volume of sales in retail trade also bounced back in August (+1.6% after −1.7% in July), whether in non-specialised stores (+2.2% after −0.2%), in retail trade not in stores (+6.9% after −7.9%) or, to a lesser extent, in specialised stores (+0.2% after −1.4% in July). Within the latter, the volume of sales recovered in other household equipment (furniture, appliances, hardware, etc.: +1.9% after −9.2%), food, beverages and tobacco (+1.8% after −0.1%) and information and communication equipment (+3.4% after −1.0%). Conversely, the volume of sales fell back in "other goods" (clothing, footwear, leather goods, etc.: −0.8% after +1.3%) and automotive fuel in specialised stores (−1.3% after +6.3% in July).

In August, the volume of sales in the trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles increased (+3.1%), following the sharp fall in July (−4.2%).

Forecast

According to early estimates, the sales volume in retail trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles is expected to have increased by 0.9% in September 2021. In the third quarter of 2021, it may have increased by 5.1% when compared with that of the third quarter of 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
2016-01 105.38 101.76 102.42 102.41
2016-02 104.37 101.93 103.08 102.58
2016-03 104.91 102.33 102.26 102.64
2016-04 106.19 101.62 101.91 102.29
2016-05 106.04 101.81 102.81 102.64
2016-06 105.68 100.28 102.52 101.63
2016-07 103.43 100.34 102.76 101.45
2016-08 107.79 100.77 102.49 102.17
2016-09 108.34 100.83 102.87 102.39
2016-10 106.85 100.91 104.71 102.79
2016-11 110.64 103.66 103.83 104.6
2016-12 109.2 102.2 104.07 103.64
2017-01 110.61 102.31 105.02 104.16
2017-02 111.71 103.03 105.59 104.89
2017-03 113.67 104.79 105.91 106.25
2017-04 109.45 102.59 105.55 104.34
2017-05 114.67 103.97 106.31 106.02
2017-06 114.07 104.81 105.72 106.25
2017-07 114.98 106.08 107.34 107.58
2017-08 114.09 105.46 105.83 106.66
2017-09 116.38 106.07 109.28 108.33
2017-10 117.45 104.27 106.14 106.5
2017-11 117.55 106.36 109.64 108.75
2017-12 121.31 106.85 108.34 109.13
2018-01 116.96 105.2 107.76 107.45
2018-02 117.26 105.59 108.65 107.98
2018-03 119.0 105.52 110.46 108.69
2018-04 119.24 105.98 108.42 108.39
2018-05 119.83 107.33 109.88 109.67
2018-06 120.16 107.51 110.02 109.86
2018-07 118.9 105.53 110.03 108.56
2018-08 118.34 107.21 110.01 109.45
2018-09 117.89 105.22 110.11 108.28
2018-10 119.69 108.59 111.45 110.85
2018-11 117.59 107.37 110.8 109.68
2018-12 111.81 107.48 110.01 108.78
2019-01 121.32 107.64 110.89 110.34
2019-02 122.82 108.98 112.28 111.71
2019-03 121.22 108.79 111.97 111.31
2019-04 122.16 110.05 112.94 112.44
2019-05 123.18 109.93 112.41 112.35
2019-06 121.92 109.46 112.76 112.02
2019-07 124.76 109.47 111.91 112.14
2019-08 123.55 110.5 114.07 113.22
2019-09 123.73 110.6 113.2 113.04
2019-10 122.53 110.59 113.26 112.9
2019-11 124.1 110.29 114.23 113.21
2019-12 124.14 109.63 113.01 112.47
2020-01 122.52 110.51 113.97 113.06
2020-02 120.66 109.76 113.65 112.3
2020-03 64.26 95.74 96.01 91.81
2020-04 30.5 80.92 78.47 73.78
2020-05 89.64 97.19 107.79 99.36
2020-06 127.92 110.79 116.94 114.78
2020-07 136.72 110.87 113.18 114.84
2020-08 132.31 110.44 120.84 116.29
2020-09 129.35 109.8 116.56 114.28
2020-10 126.43 110.13 119.36 114.93
2020-11 107.01 107.77 100.87 105.64
2020-12 120.1 110.21 122.19 115.0
2021-01 123.77 111.66 116.95 114.76
2021-02 120.38 112.11 118.36 115.01
2021-03 124.53 113.01 120.4 116.66
2021-04 119.18 110.25 112.16 111.95
2021-05 118.4 110.36 120.25 114.3
2021-06 123.23 117.46 123.22 119.89
2021-07 118.1 112.79 121.17 115.94
2021-08 121.8 114.62 123.1 118.03

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 Aug. 2021 Change in %
Aug. 2021/July 2021 July 2021/June 2021 Aug. 2021/Feb. 2020 q-o-q(1) y-o-y(2)
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 10000 118.0 1.8 -3.3 5.1 3.2 2.3
45 Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 1272 121.8 3.1 -4.2 0.9 0.3 -8.5
451 Sale of motor vehicles 850 124.5 2.8 -4.1 -1.0 -0.6 -11.3
452 Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles 89 111.8 -0.3 -2.7 -0.6 0.1 -4.8
453 Sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories 306 117.3 5.8 -5.3 6.9 2.9 0.0
454 Sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles and related parts and accessories 27 121.6 -2.4 0.0 6.9 2.1 -11.0
46 Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 5777 114.6 1.6 -4.0 4.4 3.4 3.8
461 Wholesale on a fee or contract basis 813 117.3 -3.2 -2.8 3.1 3.5 5.2
462 Agricultural raw materials and live animals 390 93.2 0.1 9.6 -7.0 8.5 -6.3
463 Food, beverages and tobacco 1029 104.5 -1.6 -2.1 0.6 5.5 3.2
464 Household goods 1130 126.3 3.9 -6.2 13.1 4.7 7.3
465 Information and communication equipment 331 131.3 -0.5 -7.9 4.5 -2.8 0.7
466 Other machinery, equipment and supplies 716 119.4 4.6 -3.4 4.6 3.4 5.8
467 Other specialised wholesale 1132 106.6 2.5 -3.0 0.9 -0.3 3.9
469 Non specialised wholesale trade 236 129.7 13.4 -17.0 14.8 8.7 -1.4
47 Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 2952 123.1 1.6 -1.7 8.3 4.2 4.7
471 Retail sale in non-specialised stores 1109 116.6 2.2 -0.2 3.2 -0.9 3.4
472 to 477 Retail sale in specialised stores 1622 121.3 0.2 -1.4 9.2 10.9 4.5
472 Food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores 155 138.8 1.8 -0.1 12.6 -1.1 3.4
473 Automotive fuel in specialised stores 224 91.0 -1.3 6.3 -2.4 12.3 2.2
474 Information and communication equipment in specialised stores 65 148.2 3.4 -1.0 10.2 20.5 3.7
475 Other household equipment in specialised stores 310 121.9 1.9 -9.2 12.5 2.0 -2.2
476 Cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores 118 121.6 0.6 -8.4 9.1 18.7 2.8
477 Other goods in specialised stores 750 124.2 -0.8 1.3 9.8 15.8 8.6
478 and 479 Retail trade not in stores 221 168.6 6.9 -7.9 24.8 -9.3 11.0
  • (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 2.3% over a year

The volume of sales of the three months under review (June to August 2021) in overall trade increased by 2.3% when compared with that of the same period one year earlier. It grew both in wholesale trade (+3.8%) and retail trade (+4.7%). On the contrary, it fell markedly in the trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (−8.5%), a sector in which a significant part of the activity, which was made impossible at the time of the first lockdown in spring 2020, was compensated for in the months following this adverse event. Within retail trade, the volume of sales increased over a year in specialised stores (+4.5%), in non-specialised stores (+3.4%), and in retail trade not in stores (+11.0%).

Revisions

The percentage change in the overall sales volume trade in July 2021 has been revised slightly downwards, at −3.3% instead of the −3.2% initially published.

Revision of variationsin percentage points

Revision of variations
July/June June/May May/Apr Q2 2021/Q1 2021 2020/2019
G Overall trade -0.11 0.00 0.10 0.01 0.00
Raw series -0.25 -0.05 0.09 -0.02 0.00
SA-WDA parameters 0.14 0.05 0.01 0.03 0.00
  • How to read: in the wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, the SA-WDA variation between June and July 2021 is revised by -0.11 points. -0.25 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: November 30, 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: November 30, 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

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