The commercial sector, which is made up of the wholesale commerce, retail commerce, and car sales and repairs subsectors, experienced a nominal growth of 36.9% over the 2000 to 2005 five-year period, that is, eight tenths above the Gross Added Value generated by the whole of the economy (36.,1%). Its contribution to the Gross Domestic Product of the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country reached 11%, one point above what it was in the year 2000 (9.9%).

The personnel employed in the commercial sector also grew above the whole of the economy during that same five-year period. Global employment grew 12.1% whereas the personnel employed in the commercial sector grew 17.0%, amounting to 132,396 people employed, that is to say, 13.9% of the total employment in the job market.

Contribution of the commercial sector to the Basque Autonomous Community GDP

Source: EUSTAT

Retail commerce grew 37,6% during those five years (2000-2005) and the personnel employed in this subsector attained an evolution rate of 16.6%.

The highest Gross Added Value growth corresponded, however, to the wholesale commerce subsector, with a growth of 39.0%, increasing its personnel by 21.4%.

Car sales and repairs have increased their product by 27.9% and employed personnel in this subsector have grown by 8.2%.

In spite of the higher growth of the wholesale commerce, retail commerce continued generating most of the wealth of the commercial sector in 2005, with 44.6%; the wholesale subsector contributed with 43.2% and car sales and repairs participated with 12.3%.

Employment in the commercial sector was distributed in the following way: 57.2% worked in the retail commerce, 31.4% in the wholesale commerce and the remaining 11.4% worked in car sales and repairs.

Net sales experimented a 28.2% increase during the five-year period. Specially noteworthy in this context is retail commerce with its 37.8% increase. Car sales and repairs and wholesale commerce have a more moderate expensive behaviour, with 27.2% and 23.2% growths, respectively.

Commercial margin increased by two points in the wholesale commerce and one point in retail commerce. However, it remained stable in car sales and repairs.

Personnel costs in the commercial sector grew 45.5% in the 2000-2005 five-year period, growing 48.7% both in the wholesale and retail commerce and 27.3% in car sales and repairs.

Gross corporate surplus grew 27.8%, with an evolution of 26.1% in the retail subsector, 29.3% in the wholesale subsector and 28.9% in car sales and repairs.

Main Variables in commerce and repairs. 2005. Data in thousands of euros.

Source: Eustat

Results before tax grew 48.7% in the whole of the commercial sector during the analysed five-year period, of which 78.8% corresponded to wholesale commerce, 26.6% to car sales and repairs and 26.0% to retail commerce.

Cash flow (results plus mortgages) grew 49.4% from 2000 to 2005 in the whole of the commercial sector; 76.1% in wholesale commerce, 29.6% in retail commerce and 29.9% in car sales and repairs.

By territories, Bizkaia contributes 53.0% of the Gross Added Value, Gipuzkoa 31.5% and Alava 15.5%.

Within each territory, and above the global average, special mention is due to the relative contribution of the wholesale sector in Alava, with 46.7% of its Gross Added Value and that of retail commerce in Bizkaia that contributes with 45.7% of the total in that territory. In the case of Gipuzkoa, the contribution of car sales and repairs, reaching 15.0% of the territorial total, is especially noteworthy.

Territorial contribution to commercial Gross Added Value

Source: EUSTAT