Informations rapides
29 May 2015
2015- n° 134
In March 2015, the turnover improved in the wholesale trade and in business support activities Turnover in the wholesale trade and business services - March 2015

In March 2015, the turnover improved in the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+0.4%) and in business support activities (+0.9%). It increased also in transportation and storage (+0.9%) and more sharply in real estate activities (+2.1%). It remained virtually stable in information and communication (–0.1%).

Every index in this issue is in value (tax excluded), seasonally and working day adjusted (SA-WDA). The commentary shows variations of subsections by decreasing contribution. The contribution of a subsection depends on the extent of the change and on its weight.

In March 2015, the turnover improved in the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+0.4%) and in business support activities (+0.9%). It increased also in transportation and storage (+0.9%) and more sharply in real estate activities (+2.1%). It remained virtually stable in information and communication (–0.1%).

Graph1_anglaisWholesale trade and business services

  • Source: INSEE

Increase in the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles

In March, the turnover of the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles increased slightly (+0.4%), after a stability in February. It went up in other specialised wholesale (+1.2%) and in the wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco (+0.7%), agricultural raw materials and live animals (+2.0%) and other machinery, equipment and supplies (+0.8%). It shrank in the wholesale of household goods (–0.4%) and in the wholesale on a fee or contract basis (–0.3%).

The turnover of the wholesale trade remained almost unchanged over the last quarter (+0.1%) and declined over the year (–1.7%).

New increase in transportation and storage

In March, the turnover of transportation and storage rose again (+0.9% after +0.3% in February). It went up in land transport and transport via pipelines (+1.4%), in warehousing and support activities for transportation (+1.1%) and in air transport (+0.9%). Conversely, it diminished in water transport (–1.2%) and in postal and courier activities (–0.8%).

The turnover of transportation and storage held steady over the last quarter and improved over the year (+0.7%).

Acceleration in real estate activities

The turnover of real estate activities improved again and more markedly in March (+2.1% after +0.9% in February). It increased over the last quarter (+1.2%) and more slightly over the year (+0.2%).

Tab1_anglaisVariation of the turnover in the wholesale trade and business services

SA-WDA value, Base year 2010
Variation of the turnover in the wholesale trade and business services (SA-WDA value, Base year 2010)
Change in %
Nace classification Weight Mar./ Feb. Feb./ Jan. q-o-q (1) y-o-y (2)
46 Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 1000 0.4 0.0 0.1 –1.7
H Transportation and storage 1000 0.9 0.3 0.0 0.7
J Information and communication 1000 –0.1 –0.5 1.0 1.0
L Real estate activities 1000 2.1 0.9 1.2 0.2
M+N Business support activities 1000 0.9 0.4 –0.3 1.3
M Professional, scientific and technical activities 579 1.2 0.5 –0.6 1.4
N Administrative and support service activities 421 0.4 0.1 0.2 1.2
  • (1) Quarter-on-quarter: last three months / previous three months
  • (2) Year-on-year : last three months / same three months of previous year
  • The codes correspond to different levels of aggregation of the NACE classification.
  • Source: INSEE

Virtual stability in information and communication

In March, the turnover of the information and communication sector was virtually stable (–0.1%) after a decrease in February (–0.5%). It diminished in telecommunications (–0.7%), in computer programming, consultancy and related activities (–0.7%) and in programming and broadcasting activities (–0.5%). On the contrary, it rose in publishing activities (+1.4%), in motion picture, video and television programme production (+1.1%) and in information service activities (+1.3%).

The turnover of information and communication increased over the last quarter (+1.0%) as well as over the year (+1.0%).

New increase in business support activities

The turnover of business support activities improved again in March (+0.9% after +0.4% in February).

The turnover went up in professional, scientific and technical activities (+1.2%), especially in legal and accounting activities (+4.9%), in advertising and market research (+2.5%) and in architectural and engineering activities (+0.4%). The turnover also increased in administrative and support service activities (+0.4%): it grew in office administrative, office support and other business support activities (+0.5%) and in employment activities (+0.8%).

The turnover of business support activities decreased slightly over the last quarter (–0.3%) but increased over the year (+1.3%).

Revisions

The change in February was revised by +0.4 points in real estate activities. Initially calculated at +0.5%, it was revised at +0.9%. That same month, the change was revised by +0.1 points in transportation and storage and in business support activities. It remained unchanged in the wholesale trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles and in information and communication.

Tab2_anglaisVariation of the turnover in the wholesale trade and business services

SA-WDA value, Base year 2010
Variation of the turnover in the wholesale trade and business services (SA-WDA value, Base year 2010)
Change in %
Nace Classification Weight Mar./ 2015 Mar./ Feb. Feb./ Jan. q-o-q (1)
46 Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 1000 109.2 0.4 0.0 0.1
461 Wholesale on a fee or contract basis 152 116.5 –0.3 2.0 –1.1
462 Wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals 54 120.8 2.0 0.2 5.2
463 Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco 170 111.7 0.7 0.0 0.0
464 Wholesale of household goods 207 107.5 –0.4 1.1 0.1
465 Wholesale of information and communication equipment 61 99.6 0.3 –6.0 1.7
466 Wholesale of other machinery, equipment and supplies 125 111.3 0.8 –0.3 –0.5
467 Other specialised wholesale 197 101.2 1.2 –1.3 –0.4
469 Non specialised wholesale trade 34 111.0 0.4 1.0 0.6
H Transportation and storage 1000 109.4 0.9 0.3 0.0
49 Land transport and transport via pipelines 407 110.0 1.4 1.1 –0.1
50 Water transport 73 117.1 –1.2 –1.9 0.1
51 Air transport 91 107.4 0.9 1.7 2.9
52 Warehousing and support activities for transportation 360 109.7 1.1 –0.3 –0.5
53 Postal and courier activities 69 98.7 –0.8 –0.2 –1.0
J Information and communication 1000 103.8 –0.1 –0.5 1.0
58 Publishing activities 158 104.8 1.4 –1.4 1.2
59 Motion picture, video and television programme production… 76 105.1 1.1 –3.1 0.6
60 Programming and broadcasting activities 61 104.3 –0.5 –2.9 –0.9
61 Telecommunications 396 93.3 –0.7 0.5 0.6
62 Computer programming, consultancy and related activities 251 117.9 –0.7 –0.2 2.2
63 Information service activities 58 109.0 1.3 0.5 0.4
L Real estate activities 1000 104.8 2.1 0.9 1.2
681 Buying and selling of own real estate 96 86.0 3.0 0.5 2.2
682 Renting and operating of own or leased real estate 691 108.2 2.2 1.2 1.5
683 Real estate activities on a fee or contract basis 213 102.2 1.2 –0.2 0.0
M+N Business support activities 1000 112.5 0.9 0.4 –0.3
M Professional, scientific and technical activities 579 112.5 1.2 0.5 –0.6
69 Legal and accounting activities 90 112.0 4.9 0.6 1.0
70 Activities of head offices… 219 117.5 0.0 –0.3 –1.3
71 Architectural and engineering activities… 151 109.4 0.4 1.3 –1.1
72 Scientific research and development 26 107.7 2.4 1.5 1.0
73 Advertising and market research 68 104.7 2.5 –0.1 0.0
74 Other professional, scientific and technical activities 19 114.6 0.6 5.5 –1.5
75 Veterinary activities 6 117.5 0.3 0.1 0.6
N Administrative and support service activities 421 112.5 0.4 0.1 0.2
77 Rental and leasing activities 98 111.4 –0.4 1.0 0.2
78 Employment activities 80 110.1 0.8 1.8 –0.5
79 Travel agency, tour operator… 42 105.8 –0.2 1.1 0.5
80 Security and investigation activities 21 116.7 2.0 1.7 0.3
81 Services to buildings and landscape activities 50 112.2 1.0 –0.4 0.0
82 Office administrative, office support and other business support activities 131 116.5 0.5 –1.7 0.5
  • (1) Quarter-on-quarter: last three months / previous three months.
  • Source: INSEE

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