The opinion of wholesalers on their recent activity and business prospects is tracked by monitoring the volume of sales and related variables, such as stocks, order intentions, deliveries, general future trends in activity, changes in workforce and prices.

Wholesalers also provide their opinion on their cash flow situation and payment deadlines.

Mostly, the questions are qualitative, with three choices. The results are balances of opinion calculated as the difference between the percentage of <<up (+)>> and the percentage of <<down (-)>>.

The bi-monthly business outlook survey on wholesaling is conducted on all wholesalers, with the exception of certain sub-sectors: wholesale intermediaries, wholesale tobacco trade (whether manufactured or not), wholesale trade of waste and scrap, non-specialised wholesale trade.

More precisely, the survey covers the sectors defined by the following codes of the French classification of activities (NAF Rev. 2): 46.2, 46.3 (excl. 4635Z), 46.4, 46.5, 46.6, 46.7 (excl. 4677Z).

The composite business climate indicator describes the common component of the selected balances of opinion on general business outlook, ordering intentions, recent sales, past and expected workforce, expected selling prices, stocks.

The unit interviewed is the global enterprise or the legal unit.

Some data have been available since 1972.