Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Swiss Federal Statistical Office Short-Term Inquiries Espace de l'Europe 10 CH-2010 Neuchâtel
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
2 June 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
2 June 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
2 June 2025
3.1. Data description
The Retail Trade Turnover Statistics (DHU) is a monthly economic statistic describing the turnover evolution of the retail trade at the national level. It also aims at estimating the evolution of monthly private consumption.
3.2. Classification system
NACE Rev. 2.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Activities covered: Division 47;
Size classes covered: enterprises with more than 2 employees.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Monthly turnover in retail trade by class of goods. Turnover is valued including VAT, but excluding discounts/rebates.
Qualitative assessment of the economic situation of the enterprise.
3.5. Statistical unit
Reporting unit: Enterprise;
Observation unit: Enterprise.
3.6. Statistical population
All active enterprises in division 47 of NACE Rev. 2. with more than 2 employees.
3.7. Reference area
Switzerland.
3.8. Coverage - Time
From January 2000.
3.9. Base period
2021=100.
Indices, percentage changes.
Month.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
Eurostat, Swiss National Bank (SNB), State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The compilation and publication of the data are governed by the Federal Law on Statistics (9 Ocotber 1992), the Ordinance on the Execution of Statistical Surveys (30 June 1993) and the Federal Law on Data Protection (19 June 1992). The Federal Law on Data Protection specifies that the Swiss Federal Statistical Office cannot publish, or otherwise make available to any individual or organisation, statistics that would enable the identification of data for any individual person or entity.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
All individual data are treated as confidential and rendered anonymous. Tabular data should not permit the disclosure of individual enterprises. Data are only published down to an activity level at which it is not confidential.
8.1. Release calendar
An advance release calendar with the precise date is disseminated on the FSO Website (Agenda).
8.2. Release calendar access
Please find more information about the release calendar on FSO Website (Agenda).
8.3. Release policy - user access
The data are released simultaneously to all interested parties.
Internal government access to the data prior (5 days) to their release to the public is limited to the Ministry of Economy and the Swiss National Bank.
Data are transmitted to Eurostat under embargo.
Monthly.
10.1. Dissemination format - News release
Standardised monthly news release by the FSO covering turnover in retail trade.
10.2. Dissemination format - Publications
No publication available.
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
Monthly turnover and volume index at the 3-digit NACE level and above; gross, calendar and seasonally adjusted data.
Please find more information on the websites here below:
The data is used by the Swiss National Bank, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs and many other users.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
All required time series are available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The sampling and non-sampling errors in the data are small, the first estimates are not biased. Revisions from the first to the final estimate are less than 1 percentage point, results are considered final after 5 months. The most significant sources of error are coverage errors, classification changes and data processing errors.
13.2. Sampling error
The sample method is stratified random sampling. The coefficient of variance is less than 5%.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The Retail trade turnover survey includes enterprises that have their main activity in Division 47 (NACE Rev. 2). But the frame is constructed using a "frozen" version of the business register, so enterprises entering into the business register after this freezing moment or enterprises wrongly classified outside of retail trade represent undercoverage. Enterprises exiting the frame (closures, wrongly classified) after this moment are excluded from the survey, so overcoverage should be minimal.
Unit nonresponse (September 2024): 45%, representing less than 10% of target variable (turnover) of the sample frame;
Item nonresponse: 0%.
14.1. Timeliness
Timeliness: First estimate at t+1 month, final results at t+5 months;
Timetable of data collection: The questionnaires are sent out during the last week of the reference month. The deadline for replies is 2 weeks after the end of the reference period. A reminder is sent after the deadline. Selective phone reminders are used by necessity.
14.2. Punctuality
Deadlines are respected and data are published on time.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
In line with ESS/international concepts and definitions.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparable monthly time series since january 2000.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
SBS and STS data are coherent to a limited extent only. The reason is, among others, different methods of compiling the respective statistics due to different purposes of SBS and STS statistics. However, these limitations have no impact on the validity of the statistics themselves. Basically, the monthly statistics present the economic development in trade whereas the annual survey delivers information on the structure of the enterprises, their economic situation and their earnings.
15.4. Coherence - internal
The internal coherence is assured.
Global cost estimation for the FSO is about 3.5 full-time equivalent. Burden estimates for respondents is on average 30 minutes per form.
17.1. Data revision - policy
First estimate at t+1 month, revisions at t+2 months and t+3 months, final estimate at t+5 months.
Change of base year and weights every 5 years, in the years X0 and X5.
Major methodological changes and revisions are announced in advance.
The same revision policy is applied to STS data released nationally and transmitted to Eurostat.
17.2. Data revision - practice
According to Eurostat guidlines on Quality Indicators MAR (Mean Absolute Revision) and MR (Mean Revision) are calculated for the last 36 months (Jan 2022 - Dec 2024):
Growth rates for real calendar adjusted data (YoY):
MR: -0.37
MAR: 0.64
Growth rates for real seasonally adjusted data (MoM):
MR: -0.15
MAR: 0.45
18.1. Source data
Type of source: Statistical survey;
Frame on which the source is based: Swiss Business register of enterprises and establishments (REE);
Sample or census: Stratified sample;
Criteria for stratification: Turnover and activity;
Threshold values and percentages: small: 10%; medium: 100%; large: 100%;
Frequency of updating the sample: 5 years.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Small and medium enterprises: Quarterly collection of monthly data;
Big enterprises: Monthly collection.
18.3. Data collection
Monthly questionnaire for big, quarterly questionnaire for small and medium enterprises, postal and online survey.
18.4. Data validation
Data are checked across months and against the samling frame.
18.5. Data compilation
Data compilation process:
Treatment of non-response: Non-response is treated by weighting;
Method for grossing-up: Turnover is grossed-up to the 3-digit level of the Nace to calculate a rate of change compared to the same period of the previous year.
Type of index: Laspeyres. The existing index is extended one period at a time by calculating the rate of change in the latest period compared to the same period of the previous year;
Method of weighting and chaining: The index is weighted by the monthly values of the underlying strata.
18.6. Adjustment
The turnover index is deflated using the consumer price index (Landesindex der Konsumentenpreise, LIK).
For seasonal and calendar adjustment X13-ARIMA is used. NACE aggregates are calculated by using the direct method. The calendar adjustment is based on a country-specific calendar and is performed within the RegARIMA part of the program, including regressors for easter effects and leap year. Models/Filters are selected automatically, if the automatic choice is not considered adequate it is corrected manually; models are fixed for at least one year, parameters are estimated every time a new value becomes available; the whole series is revised every time a new value becomes available.
No comment.
The Retail Trade Turnover Statistics (DHU) is a monthly economic statistic describing the turnover evolution of the retail trade at the national level. It also aims at estimating the evolution of monthly private consumption.
2 June 2025
Monthly turnover in retail trade by class of goods. Turnover is valued including VAT, but excluding discounts/rebates.
Qualitative assessment of the economic situation of the enterprise.
Reporting unit: Enterprise;
Observation unit: Enterprise.
All active enterprises in division 47 of NACE Rev. 2. with more than 2 employees.
Switzerland.
Month.
The sampling and non-sampling errors in the data are small, the first estimates are not biased. Revisions from the first to the final estimate are less than 1 percentage point, results are considered final after 5 months. The most significant sources of error are coverage errors, classification changes and data processing errors.
Indices, percentage changes.
Data compilation process:
Treatment of non-response: Non-response is treated by weighting;
Method for grossing-up: Turnover is grossed-up to the 3-digit level of the Nace to calculate a rate of change compared to the same period of the previous year.
Type of index: Laspeyres. The existing index is extended one period at a time by calculating the rate of change in the latest period compared to the same period of the previous year;
Method of weighting and chaining: The index is weighted by the monthly values of the underlying strata.
Type of source: Statistical survey;
Frame on which the source is based: Swiss Business register of enterprises and establishments (REE);
Sample or census: Stratified sample;
Criteria for stratification: Turnover and activity;
Threshold values and percentages: small: 10%; medium: 100%; large: 100%;
Frequency of updating the sample: 5 years.
Monthly.
Timeliness: First estimate at t+1 month, final results at t+5 months;
Timetable of data collection: The questionnaires are sent out during the last week of the reference month. The deadline for replies is 2 weeks after the end of the reference period. A reminder is sent after the deadline. Selective phone reminders are used by necessity.
In line with ESS/international concepts and definitions.
Comparable monthly time series since january 2000.
