WHOLESALE INDUSTRY AND COMMODITY SALES
PURPOSE
To provide detailed financial information on the operations of public and private employing wholesale businesses in the Australian economy. Some wholesaling industries are either wholly or partially included in the Industry Classification of the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications and numerous commodities sold by wholesaling businesses are regarded as culture and leisure products, as indicated by the Product Classification of the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications.
DESCRIPTION
Information for the 1998-99 Wholesale Industry Survey was obtained by mail-out questionnaire from a sample of approximately 4,600 public and private employing businesses in Australia recorded on the ABS business register with a predominant activity of wholesaling (i.e. ANZSIC Division F).
The ABS defines a wholesale business as a business which is primarily engaged in the resale (as an agent or principal) of goods to other businesses or to institutional users, including Government. Businesses mainly engaged in wholesale trade are: wholesale merchants who take title to the goods they sell; separate sales branches (not being retail stores) operated by manufacturing enterprises; commission agents; import and export agents and purchasing agents; petroleum products distributors; and cooperatives and marketing boards engaged in marketing farm products.
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Irregular
DATA ITEMS
Industry of wholesaling business
Wholesaling businesses are classified to ANZSIC classes (4-digit level). Refer to ANZSIC codes related to culture and leisure for more information.
Employment
Employment at the end of the reference period may be categorised by the following characteristics. These are each in turn classified by sex. The categories are:
Working proprietors and partners of unincorporated businesses
Full-time employees
Part-time employees
Commodity items sold
The product classification used in the 1998-99 Wholesale collection was formed by aggregating the 1,100 or so products in the Input-Output Product Classification, taking into account how products sold by wholesale businesses are grouped in records and the need to comply with international standards. Income and sales margin data were collected for approximately 200 commodity categories, some of which include or comprise culture and leisure products as defined in the Product Classification of the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications. Categories include:
Swimwear, tracksuits and other sportswear
Television sets
Video cassette recorders and players
Musical instruments
Fishing tackle and bait supplies
Other sporting goods
Camping equipment
Bicycles and ride-on toys
Other toys and games
Business income items
Total business income is broken down into categories including:
Wholesale sales
Retail sales
Commission income
Other service income
Rent, leasing and hiring income
Funding from Federal, State and/or Local Government
Other income
Commodity income items
For each commodity category the following data items are collected:
Wholesale sales income (from sale of commodities during the reference period)
Sales margin (the difference between the purchase price and the selling price of the commodity sold by the business, expressed as a percentage of the selling price)
Expense items
Total business expenses are broken down into categories including:
Wages and salaries
Employer contribution to superannuation funds
Worker's compensation costs
Fringe benefits tax
Payroll tax
Purchases
Depreciation and amortisation
Rent, leasing and hiring expenses
Advertising expenses
Interest expenses
Other expenses
Business size
The size of the business in terms of its number of employees at the end of the reference year. This can be grouped into ranges such as:
0-19 persons
20-199
200 or more
Other business characteristics
Other data items available, including those derived from the items collected, include:
Number of businesses
Operating profit before tax
Operating profit margin
Opening inventories
Closing inventories
Inventory turnover
Production of goods
Wholesalers are asked to provide a dissection of total sales income (wholesale plus retail) into the following categories:
Produced by the business (or for it on commission)
Not produced by the business
Internet orders or sales
Wholesalers are asked to specify the percentage of total sales income (wholesale plus retail) which had resulted from Internet orders or sales.
Geographic area
Australia, States and Territories.
HISTORICAL DATA
Surveys of the wholesale industries have been conducted irregularly since 1968-69, with the latest survey available being in respect of 1998-99.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Australian Bureau of Statistics 2000, Wholesale Industry, Australia, 1998-99, Cat. no. 8638.0, ABS, Canberra. Price $21.00. Also available for 1991-92 and 1981-82.
Other
National Sport and Recreation Industry Database and Directory (NSRIDD).
CONTACT
In the first instance, refer to To obtain data or further information in the Introduction to this directory.
Assistant Director
Service Industries and Small Business Statistics
Locked Bag 10
BELCONNEN ACT 2616
Telephone: Canberra 02 6252 5644
Facsimile: Canberra 02 6252 7004
Email: client.services@abs.gov.au
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