Insee
Informations Rapides · 30 July 2025 · n° 191
Informations rapidesIn May 2025, sales volume in trade fell back (‑0.5%) Sales volume in wholesale and retail trade - May 2025

In May 2025, the volume of sales in trade decreased by 0.5% over a month, following an increase of 0.6% in April.

Informations rapides
No 191
Paru le :Paru le30/07/2025
Prochaine parution le : 28/08/2025 at 08:45 - June 2025

In May 2025, the volume of sales in trade decreased by 0.5% over a month, following an increase of 0.6% in April.

In May 2025, the volume of sales decreased in wholesale trade and in wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

In May 2025*, the volume of sales in wholesale trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles decreased by 0.6% over a month (after +0.8% in April). This fall back is mainly driven by a drop in sales in “other specialised wholesale (fuels, wood, chemicals, etc.)” (‑2.4% after +0.7%).

The volume of sales shrank in the wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (‑1.2% after remaining stable in April). All sub-sectors went down, but the sale of motor vehicles (‑1.2% after ‑0.3 %) made the biggest contribution to this decrease.

Lastly, the volume of sales in retail trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles was stable (after +0,6%). This stability results from a fall in sales in non specialised stores (‑0.4% after +0,7%), offset by a slight increase in sales in specialised stores (+0.1% after +0,7%) and an increase in retail trade not in stores (+0.4% after remaining stable in April). Within specialised stores, sales volumes rose again in “other goods in specialised stores (pharmacies, clothing shops, shoe shops, etc.)” (+0.6% after +0.8%), while conversely, it fell back for automotive fuel (‑1.1% after +0,8%).

From March to May 2025, the volume of sales increased by 0.3% compared to the same three months a year before

The cumulative volume of sales in overall trade between March and May 2025 was 0.3% higher than that of the same period a year earlier, driven by a growth in retail trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles (+2.8%). Conversely, it decreased sharply in the trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (‑3.3%) and more moderately in the wholesale trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles (‑0.2%). Within the retail trade sector, it increased in specialised stores (+3.8%), in non-specialised stores (+1.6%) and in retail trade not in stores (+1.7%).

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
2025-05 101.13 99.39 105.49 101.4
2025-04 102.4 100.01 105.52 101.94
2025-03 102.41 99.19 104.87 101.28
2025-02 102.19 98.54 104.52 100.78
2025-01 101.93 98.64 104.79 100.88
2024-12 103.87 98.99 103.86 101.08
2024-11 104.27 98.18 104.42 100.84
2024-10 104.87 97.73 104.13 100.58
2024-09 103.19 98.12 104.51 100.68
2024-08 104.49 99.7 105.44 102.03
2024-07 103.35 98.24 102.39 100.16
2024-06 103.02 98.91 101.96 100.37
2024-05 105.04 99.8 102.47 101.3
2024-04 106.24 100.19 102.37 101.67
2024-03 105.06 99.1 102.31 100.86
2024-02 108.8 101.24 103.08 102.83
2024-01 106.1 99.32 102.25 101.11
2023-12 111.18 99.9 101.91 102.06
2023-11 108.27 97.68 102.18 100.47
2023-10 108.9 99.23 100.95 101.08
2023-09 110.16 99.32 100.86 101.28
2023-08 109.81 100.25 99.95 101.5
2023-07 109.27 99.63 102.07 101.69
2023-06 109.49 100.17 101.49 101.86
2023-05 108.42 99.42 100.7 101.05
2023-04 102.55 96.42 99.7 98.23
2023-03 106.56 98.69 101.29 100.54
2023-02 104.44 99.48 101.55 100.77
2023-01 104.56 100.73 101.57 101.51
2022-12 102.16 100.26 102.22 101.09
2022-11 102.08 103.18 102.09 102.71
2022-10 101.14 101.88 103.07 102.12
2022-09 103.31 102.51 104.88 103.31
2022-08 101.8 101.63 102.76 101.98
2022-07 96.4 100.71 101.62 100.37
2022-06 96.88 102.06 103.42 101.73
2022-05 97.33 100.75 104.01 101.21
2022-04 94.38 102.21 103.84 101.59
2022-03 97.91 103.7 103.46 102.82
2022-02 99.23 103.44 103.16 102.77
2022-01 101.14 102.22 102.74 102.22
2021-12 99.79 100.44 103.31 101.18
2021-11 99.89 102.9 102.92 102.49
2021-10 99.39 101.14 102.78 101.37
2021-09 98.99 100.0 101.71 100.35
2021-08 100.25 100.16 101.48 100.56
2021-07 99.3 100.62 101.34 100.64
2021-06 102.17 102.24 101.3 101.96
2021-05 97.85 98.19 99.06 98.4
2021-04 99.33 98.15 92.99 96.82
2021-03 101.56 99.39 98.16 99.34
2021-02 98.96 97.88 97.85 98.02
2021-01 102.52 98.88 97.11 98.87

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

  • Source: DGFiP, INSEE.

Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles

SA-WDA volume, Base year 2021
Sales volume in wholesale trade and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (SA-WDA volume, Base year 2021)
Nace Classification Weight May 2025 Change in %
Apr. 2025/Mar. 2025 May 2025/Apr. 2025 q-o-q(1) y-o-y(2)
G Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 10,000 101.4 0.6 -0.5 0.6 0.3
45 Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles 1,397 101.1 0.0 -1.2 -0.7 -3.3
      451 Sale of motor vehicles 901 100.8 -0.3 -1.2 -1.2 -4.8
      452 Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles 103 100.4 0.8 -1.5 0.1 -1.8
      453 Sale of motor vehicle parts and accessories 363 103.3 0.4 -1.2 0.4 0.1
      454 Sale, maintenance and repair of motorcycles and related parts and accessories 30 88.6 1.2 -1.9 0.2 -2.6
46 Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 5,703 99.4 0.8 -0.6 0.8 -0.2
      461 Wholesale on a fee or contract basis 872 101.4 1.3 0.6 0.0 2.2
      462 Agricultural raw materials and live animals 307 104.3 3.4 0.4 8.8 -0.2
      463 Food, beverages and tobacco 1,046 95.9 1.5 -0.7 -0.6 0.7
      464 Household goods 1,129 108.3 0.2 -0.1 0.5 0.5
      465 Information and communication equipment 331 101.0 0.6 -2.1 -1.8 -1.5
      466 Other machinery, equipment and supplies 748 99.2 -0.6 0.1 1.8 -0.8
      467 Other specialised wholesale 1,161 90.7 0.7 -2.4 1.1 -2.8
      469 Non specialised wholesale trade 111 99.9 1.8 -1.2 1.5 0.2
47 Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles 2,900 105.5 0.6 0.0 0.9 2.8
      471 Retail sale in non-specialised stores 1,002 101.6 0.7 -0.4 0.6 1.6
   472 to 477 Retail sale in specialised stores 1,621 109.1 0.7 0.1 1.3 3.8
      472 Food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores 223 99.2 0.8 -0.1 0.2 3.2
      473 Automotive fuel in specialised stores 266 103.2 0.8 -1.1 2.0 5.6
      474 Information and communication equipment in specialised stores 55 127.0 -0.2 0.7 4.3 8.7
      475 Other household equipment in specialised stores 296 86.3 0.4 0.0 -0.5 -1.0
      476 Cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores 110 109.3 0.9 0.0 1.0 1.1
      477 Other goods in specialised stores 671 123.4 0.8 0.6 1.6 4.9
   478 and 479 Retail trade not in stores 277 98.4 0.0 0.4 -0.7 1.7
  • (1) Quarter-on-quarter: last three months / previous three months.
  • (2) Year-on-year: last three months / same three months of previous year
  • Source: DGFiP, INSEE.

Early retail trade estimate for June 2025

According to early estimates, the sales volume in retail trade except that of motor vehicles and motorcycles is expected to decrease in June 2025 (‑1,0% over a month). Over the second quarter of 2025, it would remain 2.8% higher than in the second quarter of 2024.

Revisions

The monthly percentage change in the overall sales volume trade in April 2025 has been revised downwards by 0.1 points compared to the previous release, and now stands at +0.6% (after rounding).

Revision of variationsin percentage points

Revision of variations
Feb. 2025/Jan. 2025 Mar. 2025/Feb. 2025 Apr. 2025/Mar. 2025 Q1 2025/Q4 2024 2024/2023
G Overall trade -0.03 -0.01 -0.03 -0.05 0.01
Raw series -0.02 -0.02 -0.06 -0.06 0.01
SA-WDA parameters -0.01 0.01 0.03 0.01 0.00
  • How to read: in the “wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles”, the SA-WDA variation between March and April 2025 is revised by -0.03 points : -0.06 points due to the revisions of raw data and +0.03 points due to the new calculation of the SA-WDA parameters.
  • Source: DGFiP, INSEE.

For more information

* All data are seasonally and working-day adjusted (SA-WDA).

Next issue: 28 August 2025 at 08:45 am.

Pour en savoir plus

: bureau-de-presse@insee.fr