MONTHLY RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS
INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION USED IN THE RETAIL TRADE SERIES
UNDERSTANDING THE DATA
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS
MONTHLY RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS
Monthly Retail Trade statistics are classified as a "main economic indicator". They are also considered a coincident indicator as the series tends to closely reflect current economic conditions. Quarterly results are fed into the calculation of Household Final Consumption Expenditure (HFCE), and represent around 40 per cent of HFCE, making a significant contribution to Australia's Gross Domestic Product. Trend and seasonally adjusted estimates are utilised by analysts in both the public and private sectors with the trend estimates showing the evolution of the underlying behaviour of the series.
INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION USED IN THE RETAIL TRADE SERIES
Businesses contributing to the Retail Trade series are classified according to the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 1993 (Cat. no. 1292.0).
The Retail Trade series aggregates businesses into six broad industry groupings and 15 sub-groupings detailed under Scope, below. The groupings are designed to meet user requirements and to ensure the reliability of estimates. The retail industry groupings do not necessarily correspond with the three digit level groups defined by ANZSIC. More information can be found in the Directory of Statistical Sources.
UNDERSTANDING THE DATA
Survey error
The estimates in the Retail Trade publication are based on a sample drawn from units in the surveyed population and, as such, are subject to sampling error. To assist users in assessing the reliability of estimates, Retail Trade, Australia (cat. no.8501.0) provides relative standard errors for each data series. Other errors, referred to as non-sampling error, arise from inaccuracies in collecting, recording and processing data. The most significant of these errors for the survey are: misreporting of data items, deficiencies in coverage, non-response and processing errors.
Scope
The Retail Trade series includes most, but not all, industry groups classified to the Retail Trade division of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC). Non-employing businesses are excluded from the survey.
The survey also includes Cafes and Restaurants (class 5730) from the Accommodation, Cafes and Restaurant division of ANZSIC (subdivision 57).
The survey excludes businesses from the ANZSIC Retail Trade division classified to:
Motor Vehicle Retailing and Services (subdivision 53);
Milk Vending (class 5126);
Marine Equipment Retailing (class 5245);
Household Equipment Repair Services (Electrical) (class 5261); and
Household Equipment Repair Services n.e.c. (class 5269).
Data comparisons
The Retail Trade series is designed to measure retail activity of businesses and is used in the calculation of private final consumption expenditure. Retail data is also available from other ABS and non-ABS collections. Results may vary between collections due to differences in their purpose, the concepts being measured, and collection and processing procedures.
FURTHER INFORMATION ABOUT RETAIL TRADE STATISTICS
Directory of Statistical Sources
For detailed information regarding the Retail Business Survey, please refer to Directory of Statistical Sources. |
This page first published 10 April 2006, last updated 18 February 2010 | 
