FIRST RELEASE		CROATIAN BUREAU OF STATISTICS 10000 ZAGREB, ILICA 3, PHONE: +385 1 4806-111, P.O.B. 80, CROATIA ISSN 1334-0565
YEAR: XLV.	ZAGREB, 23 DECEMBER, 2008		NUMBER: 4.1.2/3.
				OBLIGED TO NOTIFY DATA SOURCE

DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE
Third quarter of 2008

In the third quarter of 2008, business entities in distributive trade (legal entities and tradesmen) realised 81 860 million kuna of the total turnover. Legal entities realised 77 780 million kuna, or 95.0%, and tradesmen realised 4 080 million kuna, or 5.0%.

At the end of the third quarter of 2008, legal entities had 27 773 and tradesmen 21 577 outlets, which made the total of 49 350 outlets.

The total number of persons in employment engaged in distributive trade amounted to 270 640. Out of that number, 224 422 persons were employed in legal entities and 46 218 in crafts.

1.   OUTLETS, PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, TURNOVER AND STOCKS IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE, BY ACTIVITIES OF BUSINESS
      ENTITIES, THIRD QUARTER OF 2008

	30 September, 2008			Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, accounting value, thousand kuna	VII. – IX. 2008.	I. – IX. 2008.
Total	27 773	224 422	37 787 505	77 779 806	216 509 747
Mediation in trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	-	45	-	9 267	20 630
Wholesale trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	-	4 670	3 212 501	5 147 702	16 693 439
Retail trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	1 355	4 504	1 473 509	2 449 665	7 996 828
Retail trade of automotive fuel	723	4 915	558 527	6 529 966	16 181 720
Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and motorcycles	879	5 697	154 256	605 088	1 740 567
Mediation in wholesale trade	-	1 289	-	177 879	671 003
Wholesale on domestic market	-	71 933	15 505 966	33 534 976	93 765 030
Exports	-	1 319	52 938	2 138 076	5 862 018
Retail trade	24 711	120 616	16 533 526	25 266 488	68 178 387
Repair of personal and household goods	105	422	14 706	23 724	58 669
Other activities	-	9 012	281 576	1 896 975	5 341 456

2.   OUTLETS, PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, TURNOVER AND STOCKS IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE, BY PREVAILING ACTIVITY IN CRAFTS,       THIRD QUARTER OF 2008 

	30 September, 2008			Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, accounting value, thousand kuna	VII. – IX. 2008.	I. – IX. 2008.
Total	21 577	46 218	3 738 618	4 080 436	11 224 400
Trade of motor vehicles; repairs of motor vehicles	2 945	6 256	171 885	327 068	947 950
Wholesale trade and commission trade	1 159	3 089	336 728	334 951	923 465
Retail trade; repair of household goods	17 473	36 873	3 230 005	3 418 417	9 352 985

3.      COEFFICIENT OF VARIANCE AND STANDARD ERROR FOR SOME VARIABLES, LEGAL ENTITIES AND TRADESMEN,

THIRD QUARTER OF 2008 

	Coefficient of variance, %	Estimation of total	Standard deviation
Legal persons
Outlets	4,0	27 772	1 123
Persons in employment	4,0	224 423	8 898
Stocks, end of quarter	1,9	37 787 505	728 498
Turnover	1,6	77 779 805	1 214 869
Tradesmen
Outlets	1,9	21 576	410
Persons in employment	2,5	46 215	1 114
Stocks, end of quarter	6,6	3 738 612	243 180
Turnover	3,7	4 080 434	142 115

4    BUSINESS ENTITIES, OUTLETS, PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, TURNOVER AND STOCKS IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE, BY       PREVAILING ACTIVITY OF BUSINESS ENTITIES, THIRD QUARTER OF 2008 

	30 September, 2008				Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Business entities	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, thousand kuna	VII. – IX. 2008.	I. – IX. 2008.
Total	38 756	49 350	270 640	41 526 123	81 860 242	227 734 147
Legal entities	17 967	27 773	224 422	37 787 505	77 779 806	216 509 747
Tradesmen	20 789	21 577	46 218	3 738 618	4 080 436	11 224 400
Trade activities	35 341	43 231	230 030	37 160 815	68 409 334	192 886 515
Legal entities	14 552	21 654	183 812	33 422 197	64 328 898	181 662 115
Tradesmen	20 789	21 577	46 218	3 738 618	4 080 436	11 224 400
50       Sale, maintenance and repair of motor            vehicles and motorcycles; retail sale of            automotive fuel	4 541	4 921	20 998	4 385 609	9 389 896	29 106 676
Legal entities	1 612	1 976	14 742	4 213 724	9 062 828	28 158 726
Tradesmen	2 929	2 945	6 256	171 885	327 068	947 950
50.1    Trade of motor vehicles	510	653	5 567	2 024 586	4 409 718	13 666 874
Legal entities	462	589	5 496	2 016 333	4 404 108	13 652 814
Tradesmen	48	64	71	8 253	5 610	14 060
50.2    Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles	3 343	3 517	10 518	767 401	1 734 499	5 626 580
Legal entities	629	809	4 722	650 239	1 459 199	4 827 435
Tradesmen	2 714	2 708	5 796	117 162	275 300	799 145
50.3    Trade of accessories and related parts            of motor vehicles	546	534	3 300	1 387 360	1 535 988	5 319 344
Legal entities	421	405	3 045	1 358 260	1 509 433	5 232 620
Tradesmen	125	129	255	29 100	26 555	86 724
50.4    Sale, maintenance and repair            of motorcycles and related parts and            accessories	74	80	226	84 680	110 747	408 980
Legal entities	46	50	182	72 149	98 840	380 987
Tradesmen	28	30	44	12 531	11 907	27 993
50.5    Retail trade of automotive fuel	68	137	1 387	121 582	1 598 944	4 084 898
Legal entities	54	123	1 297	116 743	1 591 248	4 064 870
Tradesmen	14	14	90	4 839	7 696	20 028
51       Wholesale trade and commission trade,            except of motor vehicles and motorcycles	9 564	8 756	83 041	16 114 662	32 721 025	92 476 254
Legal entities	8 219	7 597	79 952	15 777 934	32 386 074	91 552 789
Tradesmen	1 345	1 159	3 089	336 728	334 951	923 465
51.1    Wholesale on a fee or contract basis	1 341	2 008	10 174	997 163	2 711 372	7 573 217
Legal entities	876	1 683	9 275	931 206	2 636 836	7 374 480
Tradesmen	465	325	899	65 957	74 536	198 737
51.2    Wholesale trade of agricultural raw            material and live animals	154	148	1 029	437 661	1 513 156	3 977 586
Legal entities	86	70	865	432 767	1 481 891	3 882 034
Tradesmen	68	78	164	4 894	31 265	95 552
51.3    Wholesale trade of food, beverage            and tobacco products	684	784	9 264	1 176 485	4 113 555	10 893 306
Legal entities	534	592	8 848	1 165 579	4 060 965	10 767 154
Tradesmen	150	192	416	10 906	52 590	126 152
51.4    Wholesale trade of household articles	1 243	1 292	13 552	3 416 238	5 980 832	17 578 990
Legal entities	1 093	1 127	12 997	3 308 286	5 929 657	17 428 352
Tradesmen	150	165	555	107 952	51 175	150 638
51.5    Wholesale trade of non-agricultural            products, wastes and scraps	1 055	629	11 435	2 623 240	6 297 211	17 490 614
Legal entities	918	520	11 130	2 600 677	6 268 015	17 392 000
Tradesmen	137	109	305	22 563	29 196	98 614

4.   BUSINESS ENTITIES, OUTLETS, PERSONS IN EMPLOYMENT, TURNOVER AND STOCKS IN DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE, BY       PREVAILING ACTIVITY OF BUSINESS ENTITIES, THIRD QUARTER OF 2008 

 (continued)

	30 September, 2008				Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Business entities	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, thousand kuna	VII. – IX. 2008.	I. – IX. 2008.
51.8    Wholesale trade of machinery,            equipment and supplies	441	173	3 556	837 500	1 730 575	5 324 143
Legal entities	394	126	3 479	824 643	1 709 279	5 267 407
Tradesmen	47	47	77	12 857	21 296	56 736
51.9    Other wholesale trade	4 646	3 722	34 031	6 626 375	10 374 324	29 638 398
Legal entities	4 318	3 479	33 358	6 514 776	10 299 431	29 441 362
Tradesmen	328	243	673	111 599	74 893	197 036
52       Retail trade, except of motor vehicles            and motorcycles; repair of personal and            household goods	21 236	29 554	125 991	16 660 544	26 298 413	71 303 585
Legal entities	4 721	12 081	89 118	13 430 539	22 879 996	61 950 600
Tradesmen	16 515	17 473	36 873	3 230 005	3 418 417	9 352 985
52.11  Retail sale in non-specialised stores with            food, beverages or tobacco predominating	4 127	7 455	40 809	3 017 482	9 886 144	25 203 991
Legal entities	1 026	3 861	33 152	2 636 269	8 864 641	22 433 661
Tradesmen	3 101	3 594	7 657	381 213	1 021 503	2 770 330
52.12  Other retail trade in non-specialised stores	3 173	4 812	26 942	3 808 351	6 159 575	16 861 588
Legal entities	1 104	2 301	21 862	3 343 628	5 595 749	15 345 448
Tradesmen	2 069	2 511	5 080	464 723	563 826	1 516 140
52.2    Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco            in specialised stores	1 387	2 379	7 161	364 704	1 133 565	3 064 889
Legal entities	170	897	3 855	262 496	846 172	2 282 014
Tradesmen	1 217	1 482	3 306	102 208	287 393	782 875
52.3    Retail trade of pharmaceutical,            cosmetic, toilet and similar articles	599	1 403	6 550	909 717	1 850 643	5 562 196
Legal entities	261	1 065	5 715	800 187	1 656 816	4 966 527
Tradesmen	338	338	835	109 530	193 827	595 669
52.4    Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores	6 240	9 001	34 066	7 954 662	6 511 741	18 488 785
Legal entities	1 905	3 778	22 885	6 132 329	5 577 435	15 925 498
Tradesmen	4 335	5 223	11 181	1 822 333	934 306	2 563 287
52.6    Retail trade not in stores and other            retailtrade	4 140	2 961	7 697	440 023	554 631	1 532 529
Legal entities	133	84	1 071	176 762	250 136	754 678
Tradesmen	4 007	2 877	6 626	263 261	304 495	777 851
52.7    Repair of personal and household goods	1 570	1 543	2 766	165 605	202 114	589 607
Legal entities	122	95	578	78 868	89 047	242 774
Tradesmen	1 448	1 448	2 188	86 737	113 067	346 833
Non-trade activities	3 415	6 119	40 610	4 365 308	13 450 908	34 847 632
Legal entities	3 415	6 119	40 610	4 365 308	13 450 908	34 847 632
Tradesmen	-	-	-	-	-	-

NOTES ON METHODOLOGY

Sources and methods of data collection

Data sources for distributive trade are regular surveys: the Quarterly Report of Distributive Trade for Legal Entities (TRG-2 form) and the Quarterly Report of Distributive Trade for Crafts (TRG-2/OBRT form).

The Quarterly Report of Distributive Trade (TRG-2 form) is conducted by using the reporting method. It comprises legal entities engaged in activities classified in section G of the NKD 2002: Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and personal and household goods.

It also includes legal entities classified by their prevailing activity in other sections, but with registered parts that perform trade activities.

Data collection for the Quarterly Report of Distributive Trade for Crafts (TRG-2/OBRT form) is conducted by using the reporting method. It comprises natural persons (tradesmen) registered by their prevailing activity in section G of the NKD 2002.

Coverage

Both surveys are conducted by using the sampling method. The given results are the base for the evaluation of the whole group. The quality of results depends on up-dating of registers, which serves as a frame for sample selection.

Since the first quarter of 2007, the sample frame and the stratification of sample units according to size have been changed.

The frame for sample selection in distributive trade surveys for legal entities consists of active legal entities and parts thereof registered in the G section of the NKD 2002. in the Statistical Business Register of the Central Bureau of Statistics. Their activity status is defined according to information obtained from the Tax Administration Office of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Croatia databases (annual income tax return files in 2005) and the Register of Annual and Quarterly Financial Reports (January to September 2006) of the Financial Agency (FINA). Because of the ongoing updating process, the Statistical Business Register is a subject to permanent changes.

The sample covers all large and medium-sized as well as micro-sized and small legal entities selected by random sample method included in the above mentioned frame The sample is divided to strata according to the prevailing activity and size of the legal entity.

Legal entities are classified by their prevailing activities according to the NKD 2002. (NN, Nos. 13/03, 52/03 and 123/03).

By their size, they are divided into micro-sized, small, medium-sized and large ones. The criterion used in defining the size of legal entities is the number of persons in employment. For legal entities whose prevailing activity is classified outside trade, the number of persons in employment in trade activities is taken into account. Micro-sized entities employ 0 – 9, small ones 10 – 49, medium-sized ones 50 – 249 and large ones 205 and more persons.

The following principle was used in presenting the data: legal entities engaged in trade as their main activity (any activity from section G of the NKD 2002.) present data for all activities they are engaged in, even for non-trade ones. Legal entities whose main activity is not trade (e.g. manufacture, traffic and the like) present only data for their trade activities.

The wholesale trade includes only purchase of goods intended for further sale, while it excludes the wholesale trade of own products (from own production of industrial or agricultural enterprises).

The retail trade includes the entire sale to final consumers for personal consumption or use in households, irrespective of whether it comprises resale of someone else's products or sale of own products.

The sampling frame for the distributive trade surveys for natural persons (tradesmen) is the income tax payers’ database of the Tax Administration Office, that is, all magnetic records of tradesmen registered in the said database in section G of the NKD 2002. (situation as in 2005). The sample stratification was done by the prevailing activity in crafts. Tradesmen followed the principle to present only the total data for all activities they are engaged in. Tradesmen that are engaged but not registered in trade activities were not taken into account when the whole group was evaluated.

Definitions

Distributive trade is a set of all types of trade activities, from supplying goods from the producer to distributing them to the final consumer. It comprises wholesale trade on one's own account, wholesale on a fee or contract basis, retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles and personal and household goods.

Wholesale trade (groups 51.2 – 51.7; subclasses 50.10.1, 50.30.1 and 50.40.1 of the NKD 2002.) is an activity of sales of goods to industrial, trading and professional users and organisations as well as to other business entities engaged in wholesale or retail trade. It also includes transit of goods (sales of goods which is by a vendor's order directly delivered to a customer from a warehouse or any other place, put in by a producer, importer or other business entity, without being previously stored at the salesman's).

Wholesale on a fee or contract basis (group 51.1; subclasses 50.10.3, 50.30.3 and 50.40.3 of the NKD 2002.) consists of performing of wholesale trade by payment or contract. It includes sales from consignment warehouses, commissioner’s services (representatives, agents), mediator for trading goods and other wholesale vendors operating on behalf or on the account of others, as well as an activity of those who are engaged in connecting vendors with customers or undertake trade transactions on behalf of the owner of goods. Stock exchange is not included.

Retail trade (groups 52.1 – 52.6; subclasses 50.10.2, 50.30.2, 50.40.2 and class 50.50 of the NKD 2002.) is the sale of goods to final consumers for personal consumption or use in households.

Repair of personal and household goods (group 52.7; class 50.20 and subclass 50.40.4 of the NKD 2002.) comprises activities or repairs of personal and household goods not connected to manufacture, wholesale or retail trade.             

Sales outlets are the business premises where retail trade is conducted. It comprises: shops, self-service stores, department stores, rented sales space within department stores, kiosks and petrol stations.

Number of employed persons includes all persons actually working in a business entity: all persons in paid employment, owners, co-owners and unpaid family members who regularly work in a business entity; persons working outside central premises of an enterprise (e.g. sales representatives, messengers, repair and maintenance teams); persons on short leaves (e.g. for sickness, maternal leave, paid vacation); persons on strike; short time workers; persons who work at home; seasonal workers and trainees. It excludes persons who are absent for an indefinite time period, then persons working in a monitored business entity, but sent by another business entity (e.g. persons performing repairs in a monitored business entity on account of another enterprise); persons included in obligatory military service. Reporting units often do not stick to this definition because they show only persons in paid employment in a business entity.

Turnover is a value of sold goods and services on the market, irrespective of whether they are paid or not, with VAT included.

Stocks are presented in the state at the end of the year, based on accounting value. Stocks in warehouses are shown as stocks in the wholesale trade, while stocks in outlets are shown as stocks in the retail trade.

Abbreviations

e.g.                for example (from Latin: exempli gratia)

Fina               Financial Agency

NKD 2002.   National Classification of Activities, 2002 version

NN                 Narodne novine, official gazette of the Republic of Croatia

VAT               Value Added Tax

'000               thousand

Symbols

-  no occurrence