This development would be mainly attributable to the rise in sales in "wholesale of other industrial equipment," and “wholesale trade of information and communication equipment” as well as the drop of sales in "wholesale of household goods," specifies the HCP in a note on the quarterly business surveys relating to the sectors of "non-financial market services" and "wholesale trade."

Orders planned for the first quarter of 2021 would be below normal according to 34% of business leaders, said the same source, which notes that employment would experience stability in the workforce according to 74% of wholesalers.

In the 4th quarter of 2020, sales of the wholesale sector on the local market would have seen a drop according to 32% of wholesalers and an increase according to 31% of them, notes the HCP.

This evolution would be mainly attributable to the increase of sales in "other specialized wholesalers" and "wholesale of agricultural raw materials and live animals," as well as the drop in sales in "wholesale of food products, beverages and tobacco" and "wholesale of information and communication equipment."

Employment would have declined according to 24% of business leaders, says the HCP, noting that the stocks of goods would be at a normal level according to 70% of wholesalers and below normal according to 21%. The trend observed in sales prices would have shown stability, according to 69% of business leaders and an increase according to 20% of them.