Information from the Statistics and Census Service indicated that a total of 11,803 wholesale & retail outlets, including establishments, market stalls and fixed stalls on the street, were operating in 2007, a decrease of 284 compared with 2006. At the end of 2007, number of persons engaged went up by 4% to 36,191.
The continued flourishing gaming and tourism sector and the solid employment market spurred satisfactory growth in the business performance of the wholesale and retail sector in 2007. Total Receipts and Total Expenditure amounted to MOP32.99 billion and MOP31.16 billion respectively, up by 15% and 14% over 2006. In addition, Gross Fixed Capital Formation increased by 28% to MOP792 million; Gross Value Added, a measure of the sectoral contribution to the economy, rose by 25% to MOP4.88 billion.
In 2007, number of operating wholesale & retail establishments totalled 9,844, a decrease of 168 compared with 2006, with 738 engaging in the sale of motor vehicles & automobile fuel, 4,364 in wholesale trade and 4,742 in retail trade. Number of persons engaged totalled 32,755, up by 6% over 2006.
Sales and Other Receipts of the wholesale & retail establishments amounted to MOP31.93 billion, up by 15% over 2006. Analyzed by industry, receipts of the wholesale establishments was MOP16.15 billion (51% of the total), MOP12.62 billion (39%) for the retail establishments, and MOP 3.16 billion (10%) for those in the sale of motor vehicles & automotive fuel.
Total Expenditure of the wholesale & retail establishments increased by 15% over 2006 to MOP30.27 billion. In terms of expenditure items, Purchase of Goods and Commission Paid amounted to MOP25.07 billion; Operating Expenses and Compensation of Employees were MOP3.03 billion and MOP2.17 billion respectively.
In addition, number of operating market and fixed street stalls decreased by 116 over 2006 to 1,959, comprising 799 market stalls and 1,160 fixed stalls on the street. Number of persons engaged went down by 8% over 2006 to 3,436. Receipts and Expenditure of the stalls amounted to MOP1.06 billion and MOP883 million respectively, up by 5% and 3% compared with 2006.
