Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)
OVERVIEW
The Wholesale Industry Survey is one of the rotating economic censuses/surveys linked to the Australian National Accounts within the ABS economic statistics strategy, and is in general conducted once every 6 years. The survey directly collects detailed financial information on the operations of Wholesale businesses in the public trading and private employing sectors of the Australian economy.
For the 1998-99 collection, the feasibility of supplementing the directly collected sample with Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data to produce estimates for employing businesses was actively investigated. A decision not to proceed was reached following advice that there would only be marginal improvements to SE's, but such an exercise would involve significant increases to resources.
PURPOSE
The main objective of the Wholesale Industry Survey (project 124) is to compile timely and high quality statistics for inclusion in National Accounts estimates. The survey provides detailed industry level data for the following purposes.
- detailed expense data is collected to provide reliable benchmark data, with information from the Economic Activity Survey used to extrapolate for the years between the wholesale collections. This information is required to derive input structure estimates for wholesaling activity.
- commodity sales information is collected to enable the compilation of deflators. Specifically, commodity data are used to determine which price indexes are required and the weights to be used to combine them. The deflators are used to derive volume measures of turnover (which feeds into GDP(P)).
- margins data is collected to provide the 'bridge' between sales/output at basic price and consumption/input at purchasers' prices. Accurate margins information enables the balancing of input and output data.
Secondary objectives of the survey are to provide information for:
- market research and analysis by, for example, consultants, the wholesale industry, wholesale associations (i.e Hardware Industry Federation); and
- providing feedback to the Business Register on employment and ANZSIC data for the benefit of Business Register based collections.
SCOPE
The scope of the Wholesale Industry Survey includes all employing public and private businesses in Australia, recorded on the ABS Business Register with a predominant activity of wholesaling i.e Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) Division F.
Non-employing groups were not covered or included in the survey, however some non-employing businesses (Management Units) were included on the frame (these were generally part of a personally profiled group).
Approximately 4.500 business units were selected using stratified random sampling techniques. Wholesaling units selected in the Economic Activity Survey (EAS) sample formed a subset of the Wholesale Industry Survey sample (100% overlap). All businesses (Management Units) with 50 or more employees and/or multi-State wholesaling business units were selected in the sample.
DATA DETAIL
Conceptual framework
The Wholesale Industry Survey draws its population from the ABS Business Register. It is one of the rotating Economic Censuses/Surveys linked to the Australian National Accounts within the ABS economic statistics strategy.
Main outputs
Wholesale Industry Australia (ABS Cat No. 8638.0)
Contains estimates detailing the number of wholesale business units; employment; wages and salaries; turnover; profit; gross product and selected operating ratios -- classified by industry. Also details the value of total sales by wholesale business units classified by commodity item.
Classifications
Industry
Using the Australian & New Zealand Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), businesses are classified to Wholesale stratification industries.
Whoesale
Basic Material
4511 Wool
4512 Cereal Grain
4519 Farm Produce and Supplies
4521 Petroleum Product
4522 Metal and Mineral
4523 Chemicals
4531 Timber
4539 Building Supplies n.e.c
Manchinery & Motors
4611 Farm and Construction machinery
4612 Professional Equipment
4613 Computer
4614 Business Machine n.e.c
4615 Electrical and Electronic Equipment
4619 Machinery and Equipment n.e.c
4621 Cars
4622 Commercial Vehicles
4623 New Motor Vehicle Part
4624 Motor Vehicle Dismantling and Used Parts
Personal & Household
4711 Meat
4712 Poultry and Smallgoods
4713 Dairy Produce
4714 Fish
4715 Fruit & Vegetable
4716 Confectionery and Soft Drink
4717 Liquor
4718 Tobacco Products
4719 Grocery
4721 Textile Products
4722 Clothing
4723 Footwear
4731 Household Appliances
4732 Furniture
4733 Floor Coverings
4739 Household Good
4791 Photographic Equipment
4792 Jewellery and Watch
4793 Toy and Sporting Goods
4794 Book and Magazine
4795 Paper Products
4796 Pharmaceutical and Toiletry
4799 Wholesaling n.e.c.
Products
The product classification used in the 1998-99 Wholesale collection was formed by aggregating the 1100 or so products in the Input/Output Product Classification (IOPC), taking into account:
- how products sold by Wholesale businesses are grouped in records
- National Accounts requirements to comply with the Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP)
- requirements to comply with the Central Product Classification (CPC)
- specific product requirements of Information Technology Section
The classification was produced in conjunction with that for the Retail Activity survey to enable comparison of product information between the two surveys where appropriate.
Other concepts (summary)
The Wholesale Industry Survey uses ABS standard data items.
Data will also be cross classified by the following employment size groupings:
0 - 19 persons
20 - 199 persons
200 or more persons
GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
ACT
Comments and/or Other Regions
No finer geographic coverage is available.
COLLECTION FREQUENCY
6 Yearly
Frequency comments
Has varied but generally six years
COLLECTION HISTORY
Surveys of the wholesale sector have been conducted irregularly since 1968-69, with the last survey in respect of 1991-92. The previous collection to that was for 1981-82.
DATA AVAILABILITY
Yes
Data availability comments
See section 12.4 for details of data dissemination.
DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
27/06/2002 07:50 AM
