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, 24 MARCH, 2009		NUMBER: 4.1.2/4.
				OBLIGED TO NOTIFY DATA SOURCE

DISTRIBUTIVE TRADE
Fourth quarter of 2008

In the fourth quarter of 2008, business entities in distributive trade (legal entities and tradesmen) realised 74 631 million kuna of the total turnover. Legal entities realised 70 787 million kuna, or 94.8%, and tradesmen 3 844 million kuna, or 5.2%.

At the end of the fourth quarter of 2008, legal entities had 27 322 and tradesmen 21 658 outlets, which made the total of 48 980 outlets.

The total number of persons in employment engaged in distributive trade amounted to 273 825. Out of that number, 227 441 persons were employed in legal entities and 46 384 in crafts.

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

	31 December, 2008			Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, accounting value, thousand kuna	X. – XII. 2008.	I. – XII. 2008.
Total	27 322	227 441	37 866 637	70 787 547	287 297 294
Mediation in trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	-	29	-	3 719	24 349
Wholesale trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	-	4 676	3 215 066	4 989 033	21 682 472
Retail trade of motor vehicles and motorcycles	1 336	4 521	1 478 936	2 361 381	10 358 209
Retail trade of automotive fuel	737	4 720	378 178	4 360 261	20 541 981
Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and motorcycles	890	5 727	147 352	647 439	2 388 006
Mediation in wholesale trade	-	1 214	-	192 594	863 597
Wholesale on domestic market	-	61 879	15 391 548	30 962 919	124 727 949
Exports	-	17 116	53 841	2 094 787	7 956 805
Retail trade	24 257	118 068	16 812 050	22 974 379	91 152 766
Repair of personal and household goods	102	483	14 515	21 749	80 418
Other activities	-	9 008	375 151	2 179 286	7 520 742

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

	31 December, 2008			Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, accounting value, thousand kuna	X. – XII. 2008.	I. – XII. 2008.
Total	21 658	46 384	3 733 347	3 843 871	15 068 271
Trade of motor vehicles; repairs of motor vehicles	2 959	6 072	179 412	332 506	1 280 456
Wholesale trade and commission trade	1 148	3 121	322 199	335 296	1 258 761
Retail trade; repair of household goods	17 551	37 191	3 231 736	3 176 069	12 529 054

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

FOURTH QUARTER OF 2008

	Coefficient of variance, %	Estimation of total	Standard deviation
Legal persons
Outlets	4,0	27 322	1 104
Persons in employment	7,0	227 441	15 996
Stocks, end of quarter	2,1	37 866 637	801 361
Turnover	1,5	70 787 547	1 037 067
Tradesmen
Outlets	1,9	21 658	413
Persons in employment	2,9	46 384	1 306
Stocks, end of quarter	6,7	3 733 347	248 311
Turnover	3,9	3 843 871	140 573

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

	31 December, 2008				Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Business entities	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, thousand kuna	X. – XII. 2008.	I. – XII. 2008.
Total	38 410	48 980	273 825	41 599 984	74 631 418	302 365 565
Legal entities	17 640	27 322	227 441	37 866 637	70 787 547	287 297 294
Tradesmen	20 770	21 658	46 384	3 733 347	3 843 871	15 068 271
Trade activities	35 038	42 956	229 085	36 878 137	63 964 415	256 850 930
Legal entities	14 268	21 298	182 701	33 144 790	60 120 544	241 782 659
Tradesmen	20 770	21 658	46 384	3 733 347	3 843 871	15 068 271
50       Sale, maintenance and repair of motor            vehicles and motorcycles; retail sale of            automotive fuel	4 516	4 951	20 841	4 416 769	8 779 968	37 886 644
Legal entities	1 592	1 992	14 769	4 237 357	8 447 462	36 606 188
Tradesmen	2 924	2 959	6 072	179 412	332 506	1 280 456
50.1    Trade of motor vehicles	476	629	5 482	2 113 257	4 039 912	17 706 786
Legal entities	430	566	5 419	2 106 086	4 034 751	17 687 565
Tradesmen	46	63	63	7 171	5 161	19 221
50.2    Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles	3 369	3 571	10 446	786 689	1 707 582	7 334 162
Legal entities	649	841	4 811	660 904	1 419 248	6 246 683
Tradesmen	2 720	2 730	5 635	125 785	288 334	1 087 479
50.3    Trade of accessories and related parts            of motor vehicles	533	528	3 297	1 322 774	1 774 057	7 093 401
Legal entities	422	412	3 071	1 300 374	1 751 377	6 983 997
Tradesmen	111	116	226	22 400	22 680	109 404
50.4    Sale, maintenance and repair            of motorcycles and related parts and            accessories	75	85	242	81 120	57 561	466 541
Legal entities	42	49	183	62 256	48 356	429 343
Tradesmen	33	36	59	18 864	9 205	37 198
50.5    Retail trade of automotive fuel	63	138	1 374	112 929	1 200 856	5 285 754
Legal entities	49	124	1 285	107 737	1 193 730	5 258 600
Tradesmen	14	14	89	5 192	7 126	27 154
51       Wholesale trade and commission trade,            except of motor vehicles and motorcycles	9 361	8 484	81 984	15 782 038	31 020 102	123 496 356
Legal entities	8 032	7 336	78 863	15 459 839	30 684 806	122 237 595
Tradesmen	1 329	1 148	3 121	322 199	335 296	1 258 761
51.1    Wholesale on a fee or contract basis	1 336	1 850	10 010	1 063 141	2 671 575	10 244 792
Legal entities	878	1 547	9 139	999 321	2 593 438	9 967 918
Tradesmen	458	303	871	63 820	78 137	276 874
51.2    Wholesale trade of agricultural raw            material and live animals	160	163	1 054	623 394	1 506 575	5 484 161
Legal entities	92	75	896	613 912	1 472 127	5 354 161
Tradesmen	68	88	158	9 482	34 448	130 000
51.3    Wholesale trade of food, beverage            and tobacco products	681	767	9 360	1 132 244	3 752 690	14 645 996
Legal entities	535	581	8 905	1 123 186	3 710 522	14 477 676
Tradesmen	146	186	455	9 058	42 168	168 320
51.4    Wholesale trade of household articles	1 198	1 229	13 307	3 318 920	5 862 555	23 441 545
Legal entities	1 045	1 063	12 815	3 235 061	5 819 825	23 248 177
Tradesmen	153	166	492	83 859	42 730	193 368
51.5    Wholesale trade of non-agricultural            products, wastes and scraps	1 025	628	11 213	2 368 360	5 687 821	23 178 435
Legal entities	886	519	10 918	2 349 918	5 648 528	23 040 528
Tradesmen	139	109	295	18 442	39 293	137 907

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

 (continued)

	31 December, 2008				Turnover including VAT, thousand kuna
	Business entities	Outlets	Persons in employment	Stocks, thousand kuna	X. – XII. 2008.	I. – XII. 2008.
51.8    Wholesale trade of machinery,            equipment and supplies	418	173	3 515	913 940	1 996 252	7 320 395
Legal entities	371	126	3 438	899 987	1 973 372	7 240 779
Tradesmen	47	47	77	13 953	22 880	79 616
51.9    Other wholesale trade	4 543	3 674	33 525	6 362 039	9 542 634	39 181 032
Legal entities	4 225	3 425	32 752	6 238 454	9 466 994	38 908 356
Tradesmen	318	249	773	123 585	75 640	272 676
52       Retail trade, except of motor vehicles            and motorcycles; repair of personal and            household goods	21 161	29 521	126 260	16 679 330	24 164 345	95 467 930
Legal entities	4 644	11 970	89 069	13 447 594	20 988 276	82 938 876
Tradesmen	16 517	17 551	37 191	3 231 736	3 176 069	12 529 054
52.11  Retail sale in non-specialised stores with            food, beverages or tobacco predominating	4 202	7 451	41 119	3 096 041	8 431 723	33 635 714
Legal entities	1 006	3 828	33 306	2 691 432	7 500 167	29 933 828
Tradesmen	3 196	3 623	7 813	404 609	931 556	3 701 886
52.12  Other retail trade in non-specialised stores	3 103	4 638	26 691	4 051 660	5 815 324	22 676 912
Legal entities	1 086	2 249	21 730	3 564 586	5 337 420	20 682 868
Tradesmen	2 017	2 389	4 961	487 074	477 904	1 994 044
52.2    Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco            in specialised stores	1 452	2 495	7 272	366 036	1 074 902	4 139 791
Legal entities	171	903	3 800	261 393	807 057	3 089 071
Tradesmen	1 281	1 592	3 472	104 643	267 845	1 050 720
52.3    Retail trade of pharmaceutical,            cosmetic, toilet and similar articles	544	1 355	6 500	987 254	1 988 177	7 550 373
Legal entities	259	1 070	5 834	895 135	1 797 204	6 763 731
Tradesmen	285	285	666	92 119	190 973	786 642
52.4    Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores	6 345	9 057	34 075	7 521 090	6 168 376	24 657 161
Legal entities	1 871	3 741	22 826	5 690 843	5 243 449	21 168 947
Tradesmen	4 474	5 316	11 249	1 830 247	924 927	3 488 214
52.6    Retail trade not in stores and other            retail trade	3 932	2 988	7 838	491 222	465 077	1 997 606
Legal entities	129	84	1 007	269 079	199 403	954 081
Tradesmen	3 803	2 904	6 831	222 143	265 674	1 043 525
52.7    Repair of personal and household goods	1 583	1 537	2 765	166 027	220 766	810 373
Legal entities	122	95	566	75 126	103 576	346 350
Tradesmen	1 461	1 442	2 199	90 901	117 190	464 023
Non-trade activities	3 372	6 024	44 740	4 721 847	10 667 003	45 514 635
Legal entities	3 372	6 024	44 740	4 721 847	10 667 003	45 514 635
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 quarter, 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