El retail It is one of the most determining valves of the economy of a country, and for this reason, it is essential to carry out periodic reports to control its evolution and its influence on the growth rate general. The Retail Trade Index (ICM) is a conjunctural indicator that helps to understand how this type of commercial activity varies in a region, either from month to month, from year to year, etc.
The objective of this retail trade index is to know the evolution of sales and employment in the retail sector of a country (of its provinces, regions or localities) from the data of the companies located in said territory, their number of sales monthly gross and its number of workers, mainly. Next, we will see in more detail what it measures and what is studied in the ICM.
What data does the Retail Trade Index collect?
The Retail Trade Index (ICM) allows to know the fundamental characteristics of retail companies that help, in turn, to measure the evolution of activity in the sector in the short term. Generally, it is used to show sales, that is, the amounts invoiced by the company, not including returns and discounts. Within these sales we can distinguish between:
- Sales of food, beverages and tobacco in specialized establishments.
- Sales of equipment for information and communication technologies.
- Sales of cultural and recreational items.
- Sales at stalls and markets.
- Sales of automotive fuels.
- Sales of the rest of the products: fabrics, dresses and footwear, personal equipment, home equipment, health, leisure, etc.
Likewise, the ICM can also reflect the employed personnel of the company, that is, the total number of people who work in the company: employees hired, the owners who work in the company itself, as well as their relatives who do not receive retribución, and hardworking members.