In 2013, the Annual Survey of Trade (PAC) identified 1.6 million commercial enterprises in the country, which generated R$ 2.7 trillion of net operating revenue and paid R$ 168.2 billion in salaries, withdrawals and other compensation to their
10.4 million workers. In relation to 2012, the number of enterprises
shrank 1.2%, whereas the employed persons grew 4.4%. The contributions of the three segments of the sector (trade of motor vehicles, parts and pieces, and motorcycles; wholesale trade; and retail trade) remained virtually stable in the period.
PAC investigates the producing structure of the business sector in its three segments, measuring their level of productivity, trading marketing, salaries, employed persons and output.
The complete publication of PAC 2013 is available here.

Summary Table - Comparative Data of the Commercial Enterprises, according to divisions
Brazil - 2012 / 2013

The trade of motor vehicles, pieces, and motorcycles decreased its contribution to the total net operating revenue, falling from 13.6%, in 2012 to 13.0% in 2013. The wholesale trade almost kept the same participation going from 44%, in 2012, to 44.1%, in 2013, and the retail trade expanded its participation in the total net operating revenue, going from 42.4%, in 2012, to 42.9%, in 2013.

The retail trade encompasses medium sized enterprises, but accounts for the biggest part of the employed persons in trade (7.659 million, 73.4% of the total), due to the great number of enterprises (1.259 million or 78.9% of the total) and local branches (1,372 million or 78.7% of the total).

The wholesale enterprises represent only 11.8% of the commercial enterprises (188 thousand enterprises and 212 thousand local branches), whereas the trade of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles represented 9.3% of the total commercial enterprises (149 thousand enterprises and 161 thousand local branches).

As to salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, the retail trade account for R$ 104.6 billion or 62.2% of the total paid in trade, whereas the wholesale trade account for 26.9% and the trade of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles, for 10.9%.

The retail trade prevails in the total trade, except in relation to the net operating revenue, where the size difference among the enterprises gives the wholesale trade a little advantage, despite the biggest number of retail businesses.

In 2013, the marketing margin (difference between the resale net revenue and the cost of goods for resale) was R$ 323.4 million (or 53.5% of the trade total), higher than the summed margins of the two other sectors (R$ 223.5 million or 37.0% for the wholesale trade, and R$ 57.1 million or 9.5% for motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles).

The retail trade presents the highest marketing margin rate (marketing margin over market cost of the goods for resale) (40,1%), for the activities of this segment, in general, have the lowest volume of sales by enterprise, with the highest relative profit by traded unit. In 2013, the average net revenue of resales was R$ 897 thousand for the retail enterprises, R$ 2.3 million for the enterprises trading vehicles, pieces and motorcycles and R$ 6.0 million for the wholesale trade. The margin rate was 20.5% in the trade of motor vehicles, pieces, and motorcycles and of 24.6% in the wholesale trade.

In 2013, commercial enterprises did not change significantly over 2012 concerning the ranges of employed persons. The highest net operating revenues came from enterprises with 500 or more persons (R$ 854.2 billion or 31.9%). The enterprises with up to 19 persons (R$ 701.1 billion or 26.2%), however, paid the highest wage bill (R$ 66.548 million or 39.6%), for this range covered 54.0% of the employed (5.6 million) and 96.5% of the enterprises (1.5 million).

Motor vehicles employed 309.8 thousand people in 2013

Inside the segment of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles, the activity of motor vehicles generated R$ 231.4 billion of the net resale revenue (69.0%) and employed 309.8 thousand persons (32.2% of the manpower in this segment) in 20.7 thousand enterprises (13.9%).

In the sector of pieces for vehicles, despite its net revenue of 24.8% (R$ 83.2 billion), the total of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation accounted for 45.8% (R$ 8.4 billion). The figures in this sector for employed persons (57.1% or 548.9 thousand employed persons) and enterprises (74.0% or 110,395 enterprises) were also the biggest ones in the segment.

Among the activities of the segment, that of motor vehicles ranks first in terms of employed persons by enterprises (15), average salaries (3.0 minimum wages) and productivity (R$ 75,359). The enterprises of pieces for vehicles, on the other hand, had the greatest marketing margin (42.5%).

In 2013, the same sector of motor vehicles, pieces and motorcycles had the enterprises with 100 up to 249 employed persons accounting for the greatest part of the net operating revenue (25.9% or R$ 90.1 billion), and those up to 19 employed persons coming next (19.7% or R$ 68.5 billion). The greatest part of the compensations paid and of the employed persons was in the enterprises with up to 19 employees, a range of 96.3% enterprises of this segment.

Trade of fuels and lubricants generates 24.3% of the wholesale revenue.

In 2013, the main activities in terms of net resale revenue in the wholesale segment were: fuels and lubricants (R$ 275.9 billion or 24.3%), and food products, beverages and tobacco (R$ 199.2 billion or 17.6%). In relation to salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, the highlight is the segment of machinery and equipment (R$ 8.7 billion or 19.3%). The activity of food, beverages and tobacco led in terms of employed persons (420,760 persons or 23.2%).

In the wholesale trade, the highest averages of employed persons per enterprises were in the resale of goods in general (44 persons) and of fuels and lubricants (24 persons). This last segment also had the highest average monthly salaries (six minimum wages) and the highest productivity (R$ 286,309 per employed persons). Among the wholesale enterprises, the biggest marketing margin rate, 60.2%, belonged to the enterprises in the segment of pharmaceuticals.

In 2013, the wholesale highlight, in relation to the net operating revenue, were the enterprises with 500 or more employed persons (37.2% or R$ 439.3 billion). Differently from the other commercial segments, in the wholesale the majority of the compensation paid (28.8% or R$ 13.0 billion) is concentrated in the enterprises with 500 or more employed persons, although they represent just 0.1% of the total wholesale enterprises.

Hypermarkets and supermarkets generate 24.7% of retail trade revenue.

The activity of hypermarkets and supermarkets had the greatest contribution to the net resale revenue of the retail trade (R$ 278.9 or 24.7%). In the second position come fuels and lubricants (R$ 174.2 billion or 15.4%). The three activities which paid the highest volume of salaries, withdrawals and other compensation, with almost the same contributions, were hypermarkets and supermarkets (R$ 17.6 billion or 16.9% of the total), the department stores, house appliance shops and furniture stores (R$ 17.6 billion or 16.8% of the total) and the trade of fabric, wearing apparel and footwear (R$ 16.9 billion or 16.2% of the total).

In manpower, the trade of fabric, wearing apparel and footwear boosted (17.8%), with the trade of food products, beverages and tobacco (16.4%) coming next. The trade of food products, beverages and tobacco was the leader in terms of number of enterprises (324,306 or 25.8%), and the trade of fabric, wearing apparel and footwear came next (286,253 or 22.7%).

The retail trade presented the lowest average salaries (1.6 minimum wages) in relation to the two other segments of trade (wholesale trade, 2.8 monthly minimum wages and the trade of vehicles, pieces and motorcycles, 2.2 monthly minimum wages).

The activity of hypermarkets and supermarkets presented the highest average of employed persons per company (116). In the segment of retail, the activities with the highest average monthly salaries are hypermarkets and supermarkets and department stores, house appliance shops and furniture stores, both with 1.8 minimum wages. In terms of productivity, the trade of fuels and lubricants stood out among the other retail activities (R$ 61,202). The activity of fabric, wearing apparel and footwear had the greatest marketing margin rate (73.1%).

In the retail trade, the enterprises with up to 19 employed persons (97.0% of the total) generated the highest revenue (R$ 437.1 billion or 38.1%), paid the greatest part of the compensations (R$ 50.6 billion or 48.4%) and employed the majority of persons (4.5 million persons or 58.7%).

Southeast concentrates half of trade revenue, salaries and workers

In 2013, the Southeast Region stood out in relation to the main variables analyzed: gross resale revenue (R$ 1.5 trillion or 51.5% of the total); salaries, withdrawals and other compensation (R$ 94.1 billion or 55.9%); employed persons (5.4 million or 51.7%) and number of local branches (855,915 or 49.1%).

The South Region was in the second position in all the variables, accounting for 19.8% of the gross resale revenue (R$ 580.5 billion), 19.7% of the wage bill (R$ 33.2 billion) and having 19.6% of the employed (2.05 million employed persons) and 383,161 local branches (22,0%) The Northeast, Central-West and North Regions came next.

The Southeast was also a highlight for having the highest average monthly salary (2.0 minimum wages), whereas the South and Central-West Regions reached Brazil's average (1.8 minimum wages) and the North (1.7) and Northeast (1.4) came next. The Northeast was the only region where the gross revenue of the retail trade (48.4%) was higher than that of the wholesale trade (39.7%).