In 2016 there was a growth in the main economic indicators of the Trade sector in Portugal: turnover (EUR 127.5 billion) raised 3.0%, after +3.5% in 2015; the commercial margin increased 3.5% (+4.3% in 2015) and amounted to EUR 22.5 billion; the employment raised 1.3% (+2.3% in 2015) and reached 745.7 thousand employees; the salaries grew by 4.2% (+4.0% in 2015).
In relation to the non financial business sector, the Trade sector corresponded to 18.8% of the enterprises and 37.7% of the total turnover, 19.4% of the gross value added and 20.3% of the employment.
According to the trade divisions, the emphasis went to the wholesale trade which concentrated 48.9% of the turnover of this sector (-1.3 p.p. from 2015), followed by the retail trade with 36.3% (as in 2015) and the trade and repair of motor vehicles with 14.7% (+1.3 p.p.).
In the sub-sector of trade and repair of motor vehicles, sales of motor vehicles corresponded to 66.9% of turnover. Food, beverages and tobacco accounted for 27.6% of turnover in wholesale trade and 33.7% in retail trade.
In 2016 the number of “Large-sized Commercial Units” amounted to 3,402 establishments, 50.4% of which mainly dedicated to food retail trade and the remaining were non-food retail trade units. The turnover of these units increased by 5.1% and reached EUR 17.3 billion. The number of persons employed increased by 1.8%, totaling 109.8 thousand.