Value of Retail
Trade is a field we tend to take for granted. It surrounds us like air and the flow of money. The size and impact of trade are hard to grasp — we try to help by sharing some facts and figures.
After manufacturing
Trade is one of Estonia's biggest employers and the centre of the ecosystem
Trade is Estonia's second-largest employer. It provides work for more than 90,000 people in Estonia — one in every ten working-age people.
people work in trade
women
young people under 25
one in ten working-age people in Estonia
Trade is a county-level employer. In every county trade is the number-one or number-two employer for local people.
Trade creates jobs in other sectors too
Advertising
Merchants account for 10% of the world's advertising spend.
Payment services
Globally, payment fees from trade reached USD 1 trillion in 2018.
IT
Merchants are major developers and integrators of systems.
Real estate
Trade accounts for 15% of EU investment in real estate.
Waste collection
Batteries, packaging, electronics, clothing…
Energy and utilities
Data, consultants
Suppliers
Logistics and courier services
Service-economy specialists
Merchants develop their employees
Internships
In many countries trade is the leading provider of internships.
First work experience
Provides first work experience for newcomers to the labour market and offers further training to those with less experience.
Career opportunities
A real career path — you can grow from the shop counter to the boardroom table.
Further training and retraining
We help employees keep pace with evolving technology, customer expectations and the labour market.
Trade helps protect the environment
Reducing carbon emissions
Increasing use of green energy
Reducing food waste
Encouraging reuse and recycling
Reducing plastic packaging
Developing business models for second-hand product sales
Developing and selling eco-designed products
Trade invests in society
To stay competitive, retailers must make large investments
Investing in technology
- Process automation
- Robots
- AI and data processing
- Payment solutions
- Blockchain technology
Investing in stores
- New store formats, such as the convenience shop close to home
- Keeping store fittings, furniture and equipment up-to-date and attractive
Investing in people
- Retraining
- Further training
- Wage growth
Trade is the engine of digitalisation
Digitalisation contributes to sustainability, quality and efficiency.
Better inventory management reduces (food) waste.
AI and data analytics, drawing on customer purchase data, help craft personalised offers faster and more accurately.
AI helps plan more efficient and environmentally friendly freight transport.
Automation and robots boost the efficiency of logistics, stores and warehouses while cutting costs.
Electronic shelf labels reduce paper consumption.
The supply chain becomes more transparent.
Eco-friendly deliveries (bicycles, scooters).
Collaboration (e.g. last-mile home delivery).
Trade meets consumer demands
Merchants sell quality products at affordable prices
Strong negotiations with producers, bulk orders, efficient logistics, an inflation brake.
Negotiations
Merchants negotiate hard with producers to secure the best terms — and the consumer wins.
Bulk orders
Merchants place bulk orders, which lets products be sold to consumers at a lower unit price.
Logistics
Merchants are masters of streamlining the supply chain and logistics, which translates into a smaller markup in the final price.
Cost control
Merchants pursue cost control and savings throughout their business, helping to keep the final price in check.
Inflation brake
Goods inflation is lower than services inflation, and trade plays a role in that. We help keep inflation in check, saving consumers money.
What value does trade create in Estonia
We help and serve customers
- storefront Merchants provide an essential service for everyone's daily life.
- checklist Merchants offer choice, access and convenience.
- payments Merchants sell quality products at affordable prices.
- verified Merchants guarantee quality and safety.
We are an inclusive employer
- groups Trade is the world's largest employer and Estonia's second-largest.
- school Merchants develop their employees.
- diversity_3 Merchants bring diverse groups into the labour market (young people, those with less education, immigrants).
We act in environmentally friendly ways
- eco We make our stores and warehouse logistics more environmentally friendly.
- recycling We help customers make healthy and sustainable choices.
- handshake We value cooperation with suppliers and create transparency in the supply chain.
We invest in our local community
- favorite Trade keeps communities and rural and urban districts alive, creating a safe and attractive environment, investing in the surroundings, and creating jobs.
- handshake Trade supports its community through sponsorships, donations and partnership, by backing local producers, and through local taxes.
- apartment Trade contributes to local life through charging points, access roads, building refurbishments and rising values of nearby property.
We contribute to the digital transformation
- visibility Digital technologies help us increase supply-chain transparency, expand product information and raise product quality.
- auto_mode Digitalisation and automation increase the efficiency and sustainability of our operations.
- engineering We create plenty of work for digital specialists.
- person_search We expand product range and personalisation for customers.
Impact analysis
What would we lose if there were no trade?
Product availability
Because retail buys goods at wholesale prices, every person in Estonia benefits from the lower prices merchants negotiate. Thanks to merchants' inventories, products are also on hand locally and don't take long to obtain. The availability of food and essentials is also a security matter.
Transparency and comparability
Thanks to the price information, comparison tables, origin certificates and other product background that merchants compile, people gain a better understanding of what they buy and can compare products and prices more easily.
Vibrant rural regions
Thanks to local shops and other businesses — eateries, entertainment and cultural venues — villages and towns are lively places where people want to go. The local shop is, for many, an important place for social connection.
Jobs
Trade is a major employer and provider of work experience for young people — sometimes also for those with less education or reduced work capacity.
Many products in one place
People would have to visit many more places to get the products they need. Trade saves time and effort.
Great experiences
Shopping is also a leisure activity. When a store has created an enjoyable environment and excellent service, it can be a genuinely uplifting experience for customers. Great service and friendliness are trade's contribution to a pleasant environment.
Trust and safety
Shoppers can trust merchants' expertise and reach to choose safe, quality products from trustworthy producers at the best possible price.