UK goods export businesses: wholesale and retail
UK goods export businesses: wholesale and retail stood at 17.6% in Aug 2026, according to ONS — Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS). It is one of the indicators in the Exporting, importing and US tariffs (BICS) table (Value · Monthly), with a complete series running from Jun 2024 to Aug 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Exporting, importing and US tariffs (BICS) table
| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exported goods only | |||||||||||
| Wholesale & retail trade | 17.6 | 19.2 | 14.3 | 16.6 | 13.5 | 16.1 | 16.9 | 16.6 | 14.9 | 13.9 | |
| Transportation & storage | 3.6 | 5 | 4 | 5.8 | 2.2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
Understanding UK goods export businesses: wholesale and retail
Wholesale and retail trade enterprises across the United Kingdom estimate their mercantile shipments leaving domestic shores, separating commercial intermediaries and storefront merchants from industrial producers. Businesses captured here buy and resell physical merchandise without significant transformation, meaning their export decisions hinge on distribution networks, merchanting margins, and international merchant demand rather than factory output.
Seasonal shopping cycles heavily influence commercial activity in this sector, creating regular calendar swings that require careful filtering before drawing conclusions about underlying trade health. Analysts should review sequential movements alongside longer horizons to distinguish between temporary inventory adjustments and permanent distribution shifts. Comparing this subset directly with manufacturing exporters can mislead because commercial middlemen operate on different cost structures and inventory cycles.
Frequently asked questions
- Are domestic-only retailers counted in this denominator?
- No, the calculation focuses exclusively on retail and wholesale units that report active foreign merchandise shipments.
- Do seasonal retail peaks distort these monthly proportions?
- Yes, festive and inventory cycles can introduce regular calendar variations that require careful contextual analysis.
- What distinguishes this group from manufacturing exporters?
- This segment resells goods without altering their physical form, whereas manufacturers export items they have produced themselves.