France - Real Retail Sales

The French National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reports monthly sales volume indexes for wholesale and retail trade. 

Active:

• Classification: NAF Rev. 2, localization of NACE Rev. 2
• Measurement: Fixed-base volume index relative to 2015 (Vol. Index 2015=100) 
• Adjustments:
  • Working day adjusted and seasonally adjusted (WDASA)
  • Not seasonally adjusted (NSA)
• Native frequency: Monthly
• Start date: Uniformly 2005m1

Predecessors:

• New sample and 2010=100 - 1999m1 to 2017m12 (no archive specifier) 
• Old sample and 2010=100 - 1995m1 to 2015m12 (no archive specifier) 
• NAF Rev. 2 and 2005=100 - 1995m1 to 2012m12 ("05") 
• NAF Rev. 1 and 2005=100 - 1995m1 to 2008m12

Sales volume indices are available by activity. Classification is the French classification of activities (NAF Rev. 2), the localization of NACE Rev. 2. The data set covers the following sectors:

• Trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (Division 45)
• Wholesale trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles (Division 46)
• Retail trade, except for motor vehicles and motorcycles (Division 47)

Sales volume indices fall under the European regulation on short-terms statistics – the Council Regulation "STS No 1165/98" of 19 May 1998, modified by subsequent amendments. The indices are constructed from a tax source (CA3 form). This form is completed by all enterprises for the payment of value added tax (VAT) each month.

Geography coverage is France: including the overseas departments and excluding French Guyana and Mayotte. French Guyana and Mayotte are not liable for VAT.

Sales volume indices are defined as the ratio of the turnover index in value to the associated price deflator. Production price and consumer price indices that are calculated by Insee are used as deflators. Note that the geography coverage for these indices is France: including all overseas departments. Once the 166 sub-classes in the retail sector are calculated, the indices for higher levels are obtained by aggregating. 

In retail trade and trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, price indices that are used as deflators are obtained by aggregating CPI of the associated products. Sectors and products are cross-references between the NAF Rev. 2 classification and the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP). Since CPI includes taxes, it is corrected with VAT rates to make it duty-free. 

For wholesale trade volume indices, the following Insee price indices are used: IPGA (Wholesale food price indices), IPAMPA (Monthly agricultural means of production purchasing price indices), IPPAP (Monthly agricultural producer price indices), IPPI (French industry production price indices) and consumer price indices. Each sectoral index is a weighted average of the various indices that represent the products within the sector.

Moody's Analytics supplements

We have back-extended the general index to 1999m1.

Yes.

Also, the dataset is rebased every five years.

Further reading

At the source:

• Methodology
• NAF Rev. 2