Trade: Campania is the Region with the highest growth in turnover

The performance of LLCs in the trade sector continues to grow, but slows down compared to the previous year: in Italy, in 2018, the number of employees increased (+3,3%) and turnover (+5,8%) but slowed down compared to the data of the previous year which recorded an increase of +4,5% for employees and +6,5% for turnover. A more marked deceleration in the case of added value, whose growth is reduced by half, going from +6,5% to +3,5%. The region that records the highest growth in terms of turnover is Campania (+7,6%) which also exceeds the national figure in terms of employees (+4,8%). This is the snapshot of the sector taken by the Observatory on the balance sheets of LLCs - Focus on the Trade Sector published by the Council and the National Foundation of Accountants. The analysis based on the AIDA - Bureau Van Dick database concerned the balance sheets of almost 112.000 LLCs in the trade sector, equal to a quarter of the total number of active LLCs.

The best result in terms of turnover was obtained among the Srl of Wholesale Trade (+6,4%) followed by the Srl of Trade and Repair of Motor Vehicles and Motorcycles (+5%) and those of Retail Trade (+4,7%). None recorded a decrease in revenues, only one sector, that of the retail trade of cultural and recreational items in specialized stores, recorded a growth of less than 1% (+0,8%).

Geographically, limiting the observation to the trend in turnover and added value and taking into account only the LLCs with positive net equity and operating results, the best statements regarding the 2018 financial statements are recorded in the North-East and the South. Here, in particular, the growth in turnover and that of added value are equal and the highest (+6,3%). In the North-East, the growth in turnover is equal to +6,2%, while that of added value is equal to +4,5%. It is worth noting, however, the drop in added value among the LLCs in the Trade sector in central Italy (-1,9%). In detail, Campania is the region where the best performance is recorded in terms of turnover (+7,6%), followed by Abruzzo (+6,7%), Veneto and Lazio (both +6,6%) while the black jersey goes to Friuli Venezia Giulia (+2,7%) preceded by Tuscany (+3,3%) and Sardinia (+3,8%). With regard to employees, the most sustained growth is observed in Friuli Venezia Giulia (+7,5%) and Puglia (+7%) which double the Italian figure, negative variations in Molise (-0,6%) and Sicily (-3,2%)

As for size classes, small businesses are suffering. Micro businesses, those with a turnover of less than 350.000 euros, are recording a decline in both employees (-3,8%) and turnover (-2,1%) compared to a surge in large businesses, which, with an increase of +6,8% in employees and +8,7% in revenues, are well above the national average.