Division 47: Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles
This division includes the resale (sale without transformation) of new and used goods mainly to the general public for personal or household consumption or utilisation, by shops, department stores, stalls, mail-order houses, door-to-door sales persons, hawkers, consumer cooperatives etc.

Retail trade is classified first by type of sale outlet (retail trade in stores: groups ##47.1 to ##47.7; retail trade not in stores: groups ##47.8 and ##47.9). Retail trade in stores includes the retail sale of used goods (class ##47.79). For retail sale in stores, there exists a further distinction between specialised retail sale (groups ##47.2 to ##47.7) and non-specialised retail sale (group ##47.1). The above groups are further subdivided by the range of products sold. Sale not via stores is subdivided according to the forms of trade, such as retail sale via stalls and markets (group ##47.8) and other non-store retail sale, e.g. mail order, door-to-door, by vending machines etc. (group ##47.9).

The goods sold in this division are limited to goods usually referred to as consumer goods or retail goods. Therefore goods not normally entering the retail trade, such as cereal grains, ores, industrial machinery etc. are excluded

. This division also includes units engaged primarily in selling to the general public, from displayed merchandise, products such as personal computers, stationery, paint or timber, although these products may not be for personal or household use. Handling that is customary in trade does not affect the basic character of the merchandise and may include, for example, sorting, separating, mixing and packaging.

This division also includes retail sale by commission agents and activities of retail auctioning houses.
This division excludes:

  • sale of farmers' products by farmers, see division ##01
  • manufacture and sale of goods, which is generally classified as manufacturing in divisions 10-32 within Section ##C Manufacturing
  • sale of motor vehicles, motorcycles and their parts, see division ##45
  • trade in cereal grains, ores, crude petroleum, industrial chemicals, iron and steel and industrial machinery and equipment, see division ##46
  • sale of food and drinks for consumption on the premises and sale of takeaway food, see division ##56
  • renting of personal and household goods to the general public, see group ##77.2