The Report on the supply system, issued also this year by the Ministry for Productive Activities, upgrades up to 31.12.2004 the analysis on the structural economic changes and the respective territorial characteristics of Italian retail trading activities. Report’s data information make use of results of the Enterprises’ Registry statistic system and of periodical surveys on the large and organised supply system, analysing developments, annually carried out by Chambers of Commerce, and occurred on different supply system typologies. Moreover, since last year, statistic data on the sector structural aspects have been drew up alongside the economic-territorial analysis, realised with the collaboration of the G. Tagliacarne Institute and finalised to punctually assess the effectiveness of the retail trade supply system.

RETAIL, PEDDLER, AND OTHER SPECIAL FORMS OF RETAIL TRADING

Retail Trading

Analysing the permanent retail trading consistency (tab 1), within the Treviso Province in the end of 2004, 7,838 businesses resulted to be active, showing an increasing rate of 1% in comparison with the previous year, and a +1.8% in comparison with 2002. The Regional increasing rate of businesses is of +1.3% if compared to 2003, and of +1.2% if compared to 2002. Businesses at the national level rose of 2.2% against the previous year, and of 2.5% within the last two years. If it is taken in consideration the weight of single provinces on the Regional total, Treviso is placed at the fifth position with a +15.4% of commercial business, just after Venice (+23.7%), Padua (+17.5%), Verona (+16.8%) and Vicenza (+15.9%). Rovigo (+5.8%) and Belluno (+4.9%) are the last ones. Taking in consideration business retail shops spreading rate, throughout the regional territory, on a total of citizen residents, Treviso – with 9.3 shops every 1,000 of inhabitants – establishes itself as the province with the lower proportion against the superiority of Venice with the 14.6. At the Regional level, this proportion reached the 10.9, while considering the whole Country it raises to 12.9. The sector, that confirms to hold, within the Province, the larger consistency of shops on the overall, is represented by the “clothing, accessorises and furrieries” one, which is the same one of the last year, with 1,146 units (14% of the total). However, it looks like to suffer a weak decline if compared with the previous year (-10.3%); following tightly by the “furniture, household and lighting” with 553 units (7.1% of the total) which seems to increases of 5.3% in relation to the 31.12.2003. “Books, newspapers and stationery” sector, with 491 units (6.3% of the total), remains substantially unchanged in comparison with the previous year data. Among non-food retail shops, it has to be highlighted the “textiles and linens” sector, which with 312 shops rises of 50% in respect to the 2003 consistency. The “tobacco and other monopoly goods” sector which with 381 shops, rises of 5.5% in respect of the previous year and the “cosmetics and perfume” retail sector passes from 252 to 267 shops (+6.0%). Unchanged, if compared to the 31.12.2003, results to be the consistency of food retail shops: “fruit & veggies” (+1.0%), “meat and butcheries products” (+2.3%), “bakeries and pastry shops” (+2.6).

Peddler and other special forms of trading

Within the Treviso Province, peddlers are, up to 31.12.2003, 1,475 units (tab 2) rising of 18.2% in respect of 2003 and of 24.7% if data are compared to the two former years; meaningful increases have been recorded also at the regional level (+17.1% on an annual basis and +20.7% on a two year basis) and at the national level (+19.7% in respect of 2003 and 23.3% in respect of 2002). If we make the distinction between stable and mobile peddlers, stable peddlers prevail, being the 55% of the total within our province. Moreover, in Veneto, stable peddlers are the 72%, and in Italy, they represent the 70%. An Increase in respect to 2003 quota, involves both mobile and stable peddler trading activities. Stable peddlers rose of 10.7% in Treviso, +16.6% at the regional level and of 20.3% at the national level. Mobile peddlers rose of 28.6% in Treviso, of 18.5% in Veneto and 18.5% in the whole Italy. Among special forms of retail trading we assist to certain stability in the mail shopping services: 43 are the authorisation issued in the Treviso province up to 31.12.2004 (they were 40 at the end of the previous year). However, a slightly decrease is undergoing at the regional level (-2.7% from 2003 to 2004) while the national consistency confirms last year rate with 6.206 recorded units. Cold calling activities rising rate have been quite meaningful. During the past year, within the province, they increased of 14.5% (from 228 to 261 units), in Veneto increased of 13.8% (from 588 to 669 units) and in Italy of 17.0% (from 5.337 to 6.244 units). Likewise, authorisations issued for automatic dispensers are growing too: in Treviso a data of +10.0% against the previous year record has been noted (from 40 to 44 units), in Veneto +13.2% (from 190 to 215 units) and in Italy +9.4% (from 2,057 to 2,250 units).

WHOLESALE TRADING, BUSINESS INTERMEDIARY AND CAR SECTOR

The wholesale trade consistency up to the 31.12.2004 come to 3,214 units for what concern the Treviso province (+2.1% in comparison with the previous year) and it constitutes the 16.5% of the overall regional total. Padua, Verona and Vicenza (respectively with the 24.2%, the 20.0% and the 19.8%), are the provinces where this sector is one of the more important within Veneto. The sector taillights are the province of Rovigo with the 4.3% and Belluno with the 2.4%. At the regional level, wholesale trading activities register a growth, from 2003 to 2004, of 1.9% (from 19,144 to 19,504 units), while at the national level sector activities grew of the 3.3% (from 214,931 to 222,133 units). Business intermediaries place Treviso, with 5,428 units (+0.5% if compared to the previous year) as second among the Veneto provinces (19.9% of the regional total), behind only Padua province with 7,035 units (the 25.5% of Veneto). Finally, for what concern the car sector, (which is a sector business comprehensive of cars, motorbikes, cars and motorbikes components and accessorises, relative repairing and maintenance), the large incidence on the regional total is set up by the Verona province with the 19.9%. Treviso with 2,051 units (+2.1% than in the 2003) place itself, with the 18.3%, just after Padua (19.1%) and Vicenza (18.8%) provinces.

LARGE AND ORGANISED SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Research on the large supply and distribution system has been widened, since last survey, including also relatively small supermarkets (200-400 sq. m.), the so-called “mini-markets” which will allow the comparison, starting form next year, between the average distribution trends and the large and organised supply systems.

Large and specialised surfaces

Large and specialised surface survey achieved its third year. It concerns retail trade shops working in non-food retail trading sector – often belonging to a distribution chain – and dealing exclusively or specifically with certain range of goods within shops having at least 1,500 sq. m of surface dedicated to the sales activities. Tab 2 allows to point out that, during the last two years, retail trading activities grew at the provincial level (+5.7% in comparison to the previous year and +23.3% in respect to the previous two years), at the regional level (respectively +9.8% and +16.4%) and at the national level (respectively +7.8% and +32.1%). In regards to retail trading activities’ surfaces, the more meaningful increase that interested Treviso have to be considered within the time frame of 2002-2004. During such interval, surfaces grew of 19.4%. At the regional and national levels, instead, the growth concerned both periods: 2003-2004 (+6.7% for Veneto and +8.3% for Italy) and 2002-2004 (respectively +17.1% and +35.5%). Employment rate, on the opposite, in Treviso, decreased of the 8.5% within the last year. However, between 2003 and 2004, this data grew in both Veneto and Italy (respectively with the +7.8% and the 18.3%).

Department stores

In the provincial, regional and national territory, department store trends resulted to be offbeat, going through an adjustment phase after two years where the realisation of the new survey on large and specialised surfaces, reclassified some of the surveyed realities. Treviso and Veneto registered a slightly decreases during the last year, especially in the number of retail trade activities (respectively -6.7% and -7.7%) and of the overall surfaces (Treviso of -2.8% and Veneto of -5.5%) while the total number of employees grew of +6.7%.

Supermarkets

Increases, even if mild, affected this part of the large supply system, – referring to activities with a minimal surface measuring at least 400 sq m. – involving Treviso, Veneto and Italy too, and concerning both the number of active shops and the total sale retail surface. In Treviso there are 155 supermarkets for a total of 146,116 sq m. and an average surface of 942.7 sq m. Employment rate rose of 7.3% in respect to the previous year. However, the most meaningful growth have been registered in Veneto (+9.3%) and in Italy (+9.1%). The average results to be 16.7 employees per activity within Treviso territory, updated with the Veneto one (16.1), which appears to be less than the national average (18.8).

Hypermarkets

Notwithstanding in our province the number of hypermarkets remains unchanged in comparison to the previous year, 6 units, the proportion between retail sale surfaces and employees, is growing; in fact employment rate increased of 26% respectively of the 26% and of the 22.3%. In Veneto, on the opposite, sale retail surfaces and employment rate are decreasing (respectively of -21.8% of the -9.4% and of -12.6%). In Italy have been registered a growth in the number of retail shop activities (+1.8%), in the sale retail surface (+5.2%) and in the total of employees (+5.5%).

Cash and Carry

In Treviso the large distribution system appears to be unchanged, likewise in Veneto and in Italy. The activities already surveyed at the 31.12.2003 are confirmed. In slightly decrease are on the opposite the overall employment rate: -4.2% in Treviso, -4.4% in Veneto and -4.3% in Italy.

Meri Dalla Libera

"L'Economia della Marca Trevigiana", n.2 - 2006