30 November 2016

2016- n° 316

In September 2016, the turnover fell back in business services and in wholesale trade Turnover in the wholesale trade and business services - September 2016

After a very dynamic growth in August, 2016, the turnover fell strongly back in September in transportation and storage (−5.4% after +3.9%), in business support activities (−2.6% after +7.1%) and more moderately in wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (−0.3% after +1.7%), in information and communication (−0.6% after +1.1%) and in real estate activities (−0.7% after +4.2%).

In September, the turnover of transportation and storage fell back sharply (−5.4%) after a rebound in August (+3.9%). The turnover decreased in all sectors, particularly in warehousing and support activities for transportation (−5.9% after +2.4%), land transport (−4.3% after +5.4%) and water transport (−18.2% after +2.4%).

The turnover of transportation and storage declined over the third quarter (−0.5% q-o-q) and over a year (−1.5% y-o-y).

In September, the turnover of business support activities shrank (−2.6%) after a significant rebound in August (+7.1%). It slipped back sharply in professional, scientific and technical activities (−2.7% after +8.9%), particularly in activities of head offices and management consultancy activities (−4.9% after +13.6%) and architectural and engineering activities (−2.4% after +9.9%). It also declined in administrative and support service activities (−2.6% after +4.7%), particularly in office administrative, office support and other business support activities (−3.3% after +7.4%) and in rental and leasing activities (−2.1% after +0.3%).

The turnover in business support activities was almost unchanged over the last three months (+0.1% q-o-q) and rose over a year (+1.6% y-o-y).

In September, the turnover of wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased slightly (−0.3% after +1.7%). It fell back notably for wholesalers on a fee or contract basis (−1.0% after +3.4%), for wholesalers of other machinery, equipment and supplies (−0.8% after +2.9%) and other specialised wholesalers (−0.5% after +0.4%). By contrast, it grew again for wholesalers of food, beerages and tobacco (+0.4% after +0.9%) and for wholesalers of agricultural raw materials et live animals (+0.8% after +3.4%).

The turnover of the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles sector was almost unchanged over the last quarter (−0.1% q-o-q) and year-on-year (+0.1% y-o-y).

The turnover in information and communication fell back in September (−0.6% after +1.1%), even though it bounced back in programming and broadcasting activities (+7.1% after −7.0%) and kept on increasing in motion picture, video and television programme production, sound recording and music publishing activities (+0.6% after +2.4%). It fell in publishing activities (−2.3% after +3.4%), telecommunications (−0.8% after −0.5%), information service activities (−5.1% after +2.4%) and computer programming, consultancy and related activities (−0.4% after +3.0%)

The turnover in information and communication increased over the last three months (+1.6%) and sharply over the year (+5.7%).

The turnover of real estate activities fell back in September (−0.7%) after a sharp rise in August (+4.2%). It rose markedly over the third quarter (+1.7% q-o-q) and over a year (+4.6% y-o-y).

The variation in the turnover for August 2016 has been revised upwards by 1.0 points in real estate activities, by 0.5 points in business support activities, by 0.3 points in transportation and storage and by 0.1 points in the wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles. It was revised downwards by 0.1 points in information and communication. These revisions are due to those of raw data (integration of late declarations from businesses, changes of sector), to adjustments related to time lags in VAT returns in July and August and to the updating of the coefficients used for the seasonal and working-day adjustment (SA-WDA).