Insee Première ·
June 2025 · n° 2058
The trade account in 2024 Activity rebounded in the retail sector, but contracted in the automotive trade and
repair sector
In 2024, in France, sales in the commercial sectors showed contrasting trends, against
a backdrop of a slight economic slowdown. In the wholesale sector, sales by intermediaries
rose, while they fell sharply for wholesalers of fuels and related products, products
for home and building installation, and non-ICT industrial equipment. Both in-store
and
out-of-store retail sales recovered. However, the rebound was limited in food shops,
despite the sharp slowdown in prices. Turnover fell in the automotive trade and repair.
Salaried employment in the trade sector fell slightly, while it rose very slightly
in the commercial tertiary sector as a whole. Business start-ups rebounded in commerce
and commercial handicraft, driven by micro-entrepreneurs and sole traders in the home
sales sector, while insolvencies continued to rise in the trade sector.