Retail Trade Survey (Discontinued)

Contact info

Statistics Denmark, Short Term Statistics
Simon B. Halifax
+45 51 29 21 91

Get documentation of statistics as pdf

Retail Trade Survey 2021

The monthly tendency survey provides a quick and up-to-date overview of actual conditions and expectations within the retail trade. Statistics Denmark took over the Retail trade tendency survey in May 2011. The survey is directly connected to and defined by the Business and Consumer Survey joint harmonized programme as managed by the Directorate-Generale for Economic and Financial Affairs (DG ECFIN), European Commission. Within same programme is also carried out monthly tendency surveys on Manufacturing Industries, Construction, Services and Consumer expectations as well as the biannual survey on Manufacturing Industry Investments.

Statistical presentation

The Tendency survey provides information about actual conditions and expectations within the Retail trade business. The survey is a qualitative assessment on developments over the past three months and expected developments over the next three month, based on the variables sales, employment, sales prices, orders placed by supplier and current stock.

Statistical processing

Monthly business survey data is collected from a sample of approximately 1400 Retail Trade stores, including auto wholesales. Data is reported either online at http://www.VIRK.dk or in paper questionnaire, and consists of qualitative information about changes in net sales, employment, inventories, orders, etc., which are not validated. The collected data are enumerated from the sample to the total population weighted by employment data, and distributed at industry and size groupings. If seasonal variation patterns are detected for the indicators that constitute the composite confidence indicator, data is adjusted for this.

Relevance

Users of the statistics are trade organizations, banks, politicians, public authorities, international organizations, business enterprises and the news media. The confidence indicators provide valuable information about the state of the business economy and are reflected upon every month in financial related news medias. There has been no survey if the statistics meets the needs of clients.

Accuracy and reliability

Regarding precision, sampling error is estimated to plus/minus 1-2 percentage points for the confidence indicators. The figures are by definition reliable, since they are not revised.

Timeliness and punctuality

The Survey is launched about 5 working days before the beginning of the survey month. Questionnaire or e-mail notification is send out. Deadline for responses is about the 6th of the survey month. Reminder is send about the 13th giving new deadline about the 20th of the survey month. The statistics is compiled about the 24th immediately before deadline for sending data to EU-partner DG ECFIN. Last but one working day before the end of the survey month, data is published in both Denmark and EU. The process always runs punctual.

Comparability

The Tendency survey in Retail trade was launched in May 2011 by Statistics Denmark. Data is comparable over time with similar tendency survey data up until April 2011 provided by the EC Business and Consumer Surveys programme and managed by Directorate-Generale for Economic and Financial Affairs, DG ECFIN.

Accessibility and clarity

Results of the surveys are published monthly at Statistics Denmark; Key indicators are published in the newsletter edition Nyt fra Danmarks Statistik, Detailhandel and in English at the homepage Short term trends. Detailed data is available in English version at http://www.statbank.dk; choose English language and look for the tables KBD1, KBD2 and KBD3. Read here about the statistics. Also, data are published at the homepage of the EU-commission partner Directorate Generale Economic and Financial affairs (DG ECFIN) along with similar data from other EU countries.

Scientists and analysts have the option to buy micro-data through the Division of Research Services, Statistics Denmark. In this case data will anonymized in order to ensure enterprises confidentiality.