Trade in 2015 activity picked up; prices continued to fall

A revival in trade activity was confirmed in 2015. In retail, sales volumes increased at a much faster pace (+1.8%) than in previous years, as a result of the significant appreciation in household purchasing power. In wholesale trade, the slight increase (+1.2%) was mainly explained by strong growth in the activity of intermediaries. These positive results in terms of volume were nevertheless accompanied by falling prices, except in motor vehicle trade and repair. 2015 was particularly successful in this sector, with sales volumes rebounding sharply (+3.7%) after several difficult years.