Index of wholesale and retail sales, March 2013

No geographical breakdown available. National level only.

Monthly. The statistics are normally published between the 26th and 30th day of the following month.

The statistics are reported to Eurostat at the time of publication in Norway.

Primary data and compiled statistics are stored electronically in SAS files.

The objective of the Index of wholesale and retail trade is to describe the value and volume development in the wholesale and retail trade sector. The wholesale and retail trade sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, wholesale trade (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) and retail trade (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). Wholesale is companies selling new and/or used goods to other companies, while retail trade is companies selling new and/or used goods to private households. Retail sales is executed from either a fixed or moveable sales outlet, a market place or via the Internet or mail order. Examples of retail sales are the sale of food, beverages, clothing, shoes, domestic electrical appliances, furniture, building equipment and so on. 

The Index of wholesale and retail trade is the main component in the calculation of household consumption. The index have been published since 1936 and was until april 2021 named Index of retail sales. From april 2021 the index was broadened to also include sector 45 wholesale and retail sale and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and sector 46 wholesale (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). 

From November 1999, the sample of retail stores has been supplemented gradually with turnover figures for chain stores reported directly by head office. As a consequence, figures for newly established and closed down units for the above-mentioned stores are also more up to date.

Users include public and private sector agencies and organisations. Statistics Norway's national accounts statistics rely on timely production of the index of wholesale and retail trade. Other users include Statistics Norway's research department.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on ssb.no at 8 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally. 

The index of household consumption of goods is published at the same time as the Index of wholesale and retail trade. The former is more extensive than the latter, which can lead to different developments in the two indices.

For calculating the volume indices of the Index of wholesale and trade the consumer price index is used for sector 45 wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and sector 47 retail trade (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles) while the price index of first-hand domestic sales is used for sector 46 wholesale (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). 

Changes in turnover are later compared with bimonthly wholesale and retail sales statistics which are based on the VAT register.

The Statistics Act 21st of June 2019 number 32, §10 and §20

Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics (EBS)

All establishments in the sector G, which consists of sector 45 wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, sector 46 wholesale, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (46.1 wholesale on a fee or contract  basis is excluded) and sector 47 retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles (SNN2007: G.).  

Monthly statistical surveys (simplified questionnaire), Statistics Norway's annual survey of wholesale and retail trade establishments (detailed questionnaire), the VAT register and Statistics Norway's Register of Establishments and Enterprises.

A sample of about 18 100 units is selected from the population of wholesale and retail trade establishments in the VAT register. This includes a sub-sample of 15 100 chain departments/stores with direct reporting from head office. 

3 000 units is selected from other existing establishments, i.e. independent companies/shops and the remaining chain departments/stores not yet included in the sample above. This population is stratified according to size in terms of number of employees. The sample is adjusted as necessary to ensure a reasonably even geographical coverage and to incorporate available new information from the annual survey of wholesale and retail trade establishments and the bimonthly updated VAT register. In the latter case, the adjustments focus on diverging trends between turnover as measured by the sample and turnover as measured by a survey of the VAT register. In 1997, the sample was adjusted to take into account the variation of strata variances. The sample is rotated annually based on the second term of the turnover statistics. Establishments are retained in the sample for a maximum of four years unless they are part of a full coverage stratum.

Questionnaires are submitted electronically in the Altinn portal. If the respondents need help in filling in the questionnaire, Statistics Norway can be contacted by telephone. The establishments normally receive the questionnaire before the expiry of the survey month. The deadline is the 12th day of the following month. Failure to respond is subject to fines.

Prior to the statistical compilation, arithmetic and logical checks are carried out. This procedure also includes comparing the results with other data sources, mainly the wholesale and retail trade statistics.

Results broken down by sector and stratum are compared with data for the previous period and the corresponding period in the previous year. If the discrepancy is considerable, the respondent is consulted.

A ratio estimator is applied to each stratum to inflate sample data to population level. The ratio estimator uses turnover figures from the VAT register as auxiliary variables.

The establishments are divided into identical units and newly established units. These concepts are defined in Notater 93/17 Detaljomsetningsindeksen (in Norwegian only).

Newly established units are enterprises that have been registered in the Central Register of Establishments and Enterprises after the last rotation of the sample. The turnover of these enterprises is based on estimates as this information is not available. The estimates are based on information about newly established units in the same period in the previous year. The average turnover per establishment is calculated for newly established units in the same period in the previous year. On this basis the turnover for all recent establishments for the period in question is aggregated. The estimates for newly established units are made on stratum and NACE level.

Volume indices at NACE four-digit sector level are calculated by deflating value indices directly by means of the consumer price index for sector 45 and 47 and the price index of first-hand domestic sales for sector 46. At NACE two and three-digit sector level the volume indices are calculated as a weighted sum of the volume indices at the NACE four-digit sector level using value shares in the reference year as weight.

The index is adjusted for seasonal variations applying the X12ARIMA method with non-fixed seasonal effects and multiplicative model. As a supplement to seasonal variations, the new model takes into account the effect of weekdays, fixed holidays as 1 ^st and 17 ^th May, Easter, Pentecost, Ascension Day and 1 ^st New Year's Day. 24 ^th to 26 ^th of December are considered as seasonal variations with a method developed by Statistics Norway.

Refers to the separate tab "About seasonal adjustment" on statistics website.

Not relevant

The Index of wholesale and retail trade has been published since 1936. In April 2021 the name changed from Index of retail sales, since the index was broadened to also include sector 45 wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and sector 46 wholesale (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles). 

A new version of Norwegian industry classification (SIC2007) has been implemented from January 2009. The toal index, as well as three-digit sector levels, has been recalculated back to 2000 according to SIC2007.

In January 2003, Statistics Norway altered the calculation method for the price index used to deflate the retail trade sector. At this time the price index was only used to deflate the retail trade sector 47 (except of motor vehicles and motorcycles), but is from 2021 also used to deflate sector 45 wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles. The new method is based on the price development of product groups from the consumer price index, as well as on sector-wise product allocation. The product allocation comes from a survey with that particular focus. The current method used to calculate this price index is using the same methods used to calculate the deflator of the retail sales component in the index of household consumption of goods. Volume figures have been calculated back to August 1999 using the current deflator.

The volume indices at NACE four-digit sector level are calculated by deflating value indices using the aid of the consumer price index for sector 45 and 47, and the price index of first-hand domestic sales for sector 46. From January 2002, volume indices at NACE two and three-digit sector level are calculated as a weighted sum of the volume indices at NACE four-digit sector level with value shares in the reference year as weight. In the past, volume indices at the NACE two and three-digit sector level were calculated using immediate deflation of value indices.

In compliance with Eurostat regulations the reference year was changed to 2015=100 when indices for January 2018 were published. Prior to this the reference year of the retail sales index was 2010=100.