Business confidence survey in retail trade: Business Confidence survey in Retail Trade falls within the scope of a wide range of cyclical surveys harmonised at European level and for which ISTAT has been the Italian partner since January 2011. The survey aims to gather and timely disseminate data on cyclical trends in the main economic variables in the retail trade. The principal phenomena recorded monthly concern in particular opinions on current business situation, level of stocks, suppliers’ prices as well as trends (over three successive months) regarding the volume of orders, the workforce, selling prices and sale volumes. In line with the methodology adopted at EU level, on a monthly basis the indicators of the business climate in the sector will be processed considering this latter element both as a whole and broken down into the two categories of traditional and large-scale retailing.