2021 Annual Wholesale Trade Survey (PDF, 924.41 KB)
Why do we conduct this survey?
This survey is conducted by Statistics Canada in order to collect the necessary information to support the Integrated Business Statistics Program (IBSP). This program combines various survey and administrative data to develop comprehensive measures of the Canadian economy.
The statistical information from the IBSP serves many purposes, including:
- calculating each province and territory's fair share of federal-provincial transfer payments for health, education and social programs
- establishing government programs to assist businesses
- assisting the business community in negotiating contracts and collective agreements
- supporting the government in making informed decisions about fiscal, monetary and foreign exchange policies
- indexing social benefit programs and determining tax brackets
- enabling academics and economists to analyze the economic performance of Canadian industries and to better understand rapidly evolving business environments.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes.
Your participation in this survey is required under the authority of the Statistics Act.
Other important information
Authorization to collect this information
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
Confidentiality
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.
Record linkages
To enhance the data from this survey and to reduce the reporting burden, Statistics Canada may combine the acquired data with information from other surveys or from administrative sources.
Data-sharing agreements
To reduce respondent burden, Statistics Canada has entered into data-sharing agreements with provincial and territorial statistical agencies and other government organizations, which have agreed to keep the data confidential and use them only for statistical purposes. Statistics Canada will only share data from this survey with those organizations that have demonstrated a requirement to use the data.
Section 11 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with provincial and territorial statistical agencies that meet certain conditions. These agencies must have the legislative authority to collect the same information, on a mandatory basis, and the legislation must provide substantially the same provisions for confidentiality and penalties for disclosure of confidential information as the Statistics Act. Because these agencies have the legal authority to compel businesses to provide the same information, consent is not requested and businesses may not object to the sharing of the data.
For this survey, there are Section 11 agreements with the provincial and territorial statistical agencies of Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Québec, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon.
The shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.
Section 12 of the Statistics Act provides for the sharing of information with federal, provincial or territorial government organizations.
Under Section 12, you may refuse to share your information with any of these organizations by writing a letter of objection to the Chief Statistician, specifying the organizations with which you do not want Statistics Canada to share your data and mailing it to the following address:
Chief Statistician of Canada
Statistics Canada
Attention of Director, Enterprise Statistics Division
150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0T6
You may also contact us by email at statcan.esd-helpdesk-dse-bureaudedepannage.statcan@canada.ca or by fax at 613-951-6583.
For this survey, there are Section 12 agreements with the statistical agencies of Prince Edward Island, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut.
For agreements with provincial and territorial government organizations, the shared data will be limited to information pertaining to business establishments located within the jurisdiction of the respective province or territory.
You can print this questionnaire once you have completed and submitted it.
Business or organization and contact information
1. Verify or provide the business or organization's legal and operating name and correct where needed.
Note: Legal name modifications should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
Legal Name
The legal name is one recognized by law, thus it is the name liable for pursuit or for debts incurred by the business or organization. In the case of a corporation, it is the legal name as fixed by its charter or the statute by which the corporation was created.
Modifications to the legal name should only be done to correct a spelling error or typo.
To indicate a legal name of another legal entity you should instead indicate it in question 3 by selecting 'Not currently operational' and then choosing the applicable reason and providing the legal name of this other entity along with any other requested information.
Operating Name
The operating name is a name the business or organization is commonly known as if different from its legal name. The operating name is synonymous with trade name.
- Legal name
- Operating name (if applicable)
2. Verify or provide the contact information of the designated business or organization contact person for this questionnaire and correct where needed.
Note: The designated contact person is the person who should receive this questionnaire. The designated contact person may not always be the one who actually completes the questionnaire.
- First name
- Last name
- Title
- Preferred language of communication
- English
- French
- Mailing address (number and street)
- City
- Province, territory or state
- Postal code or ZIP code
- Country
- Canada
- United States
- Email address
- Telephone number (including area code)
- Extension number (if applicable)
The maximum number of characters is 10. - Fax number (including area code)
3. Verify or provide the current operational status of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
- Operational
- Not currently operational
Why is this business or organization not currently operational?- Seasonal operations
- When did this business or organization close for the season?
Date - When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date
- When did this business or organization close for the season?
- Ceased operations
- When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date - Why did this business or organization cease operations?
- Bankruptcy
- Liquidation
- Dissolution
- Other
Specify the other reasons why the operations ceased
- When did this business or organization cease operations?
- Sold operations
- When was this business or organization sold?
Date - What is the legal name of the buyer?
- When was this business or organization sold?
- Amalgamated with other businesses or organizations
- When did this business or organization amalgamate?
Date - What is the legal name of the resulting or continuing business or organization?
- What are the legal names of the other amalgamated businesses or organizations?
- When did this business or organization amalgamate?
- Temporarily inactive but will re-open
- When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
Date - When does this business or organization expect to resume operations?
Date - Why is this business or organization temporarily inactive?
- When did this business or organization become temporarily inactive?
- No longer operating due to other reasons
- When did this business or organization cease operations?
Date - Why did this business or organization cease operations?
- When did this business or organization cease operations?
- Seasonal operations
4. Verify or provide the current main activity of the business or organization identified by the legal and operating name above.
Note: The described activity was assigned using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).
This question verifies the business or organization's current main activity as classified by the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is an industry classification system developed by the statistical agencies of Canada, Mexico and the United States. Created against the background of the North American Free Trade Agreement, it is designed to provide common definitions of the industrial structure of the three countries and a common statistical framework to facilitate the analysis of the three economies. NAICS is based on supply-side or production-oriented principles, to ensure that industrial data, classified to NAICS, are suitable for the analysis of production-related issues such as industrial performance.
The target entity for which NAICS is designed are businesses and other organizations engaged in the production of goods and services. They include farms, incorporated and unincorporated businesses and government business enterprises. They also include government institutions and agencies engaged in the production of marketed and non-marketed services, as well as organizations such as professional associations and unions and charitable or non-profit organizations and the employees of households.
The associated NAICS should reflect those activities conducted by the business or organizational units targeted by this questionnaire only, as identified in the 'Answering this questionnaire' section and which can be identified by the specified legal and operating name. The main activity is the activity which most defines the targeted business or organization's main purpose or reason for existence. For a business or organization that is for-profit, it is normally the activity that generates the majority of the revenue for the entity.
The NAICS classification contains a limited number of activity classifications; the associated classification might be applicable for this business or organization even if it is not exactly how you would describe this business or organization's main activity.
Please note that any modifications to the main activity through your response to this question might not necessarily be reflected prior to the transmitting of subsequent questionnaires and as a result they may not contain this updated information.
The following is the detailed description including any applicable examples or exclusions for the classification currently associated with this business or organization.
Description and examples
- This is the current main activity
- This is not the current main activity
- Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
e.g. For example: breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
- Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's main activity
Main activity
5. You indicated that is not the current main activity. Was this business or organization's main activity ever classified as: ?
- Yes
When did the main activity change?
Date - No
6. Search and select the industry classification code that best corresponds to this business or organization's main activity.
Select this business or organization's activity sector (optional)
- Farming or logging operation
- Construction company or general contractor
- Manufacturer
- Wholesaler
- Retailer
- Provider of passenger or freight transportation
- Provider of investment, savings or insurance products
- Real estate agency, real estate brokerage or leasing company
- Provider of professional, scientific or technical services
- Provider of health care or social services
- Restaurant, bar, hotel, motel or other lodging establishment
- Other sector
7. You have indicated that the current main activity of this business or organization is: Main activity. Are there any other activities that contribute significantly (at least 10%) to this business or organization's revenue?
- Yes, there are other activities
- Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity
e.g., breakfast cereal manufacturing, shoe store, software development
- Provide a brief but precise description of this business or organization's secondary activity
- No, that is the only significant activity
8. Approximately what percentage of this business or organization's revenue is generated by each of the following activities?
When precise figures are not available, provide your best estimates.
| Percentage of revenue | |
|---|---|
| Main activity | |
| Secondary activity | |
| All other activities | |
| Total percentage |
Reporting period information
1. What are the start and end dates of this business's or organization's most recently completed fiscal year?
For this survey, the end date should fall between April 1, 2021 and March 31, 2022.
Here are twelve common fiscal periods that fall within the targeted dates:
- May 1, 2020 to April 30, 2021
- June 1, 2020 to May 31, 2021
- July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021
- August 1, 2020 to July 31, 2021
- September 1, 2020 to August 31, 2021
- October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021
- November 1, 2020 to October 31, 2021
- December 1, 2020 to November 30, 2021
- January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021
- February 1, 2021 to January 31, 2022
- March 1, 2021 to February 28, 2022
- April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022.
Here are other examples of fiscal periods that fall within the required dates:
- September 18, 2020 to September 15, 2021 (e.g., floating year-end)
- June 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021 (e.g., a newly opened business).
Fiscal year start date
Fiscal year-end date
2. What is the reason the reporting period does not cover a full year?
Select all that apply.
- Seasonal operations
- New business
- Change of ownership
- Temporarily inactive
- Change of fiscal year
- Ceased operations
- Other
- Specify reason the reporting period does not cover a full year
Additional reporting instructions
1. Throughout this questionnaire, please report financial information in thousands of Canadian dollars.
For example, an amount of $763,880.25 should be reported as:
CAN$ '000: $764,000
I will report in the format above
Industry characteristics
1. What were this business's sales for each of the following products and services?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
All revenue reported should exclude sales taxes (GST/HST, PST and QST) and be net of returns, discounts, sales allowances, and charges for outward transportation by common or contract carriers.
a. All products purchased for resale
Include:
- excise taxes (such as those on gasoline, liquor, and tobacco) and other taxes that are levied on the manufacturer/importer and included in the cost of products purchased by this business unit
- sales of all products purchased for resale, please report gross sales of new and used products less returns, discounts and rebates
- parts used in generating repair and maintenance revenue (report the labour portion of repair and maintenance at question c.)
- any sales made to any member company of your enterprise.
Do not deduct the value of trade-ins.
Exclude taxes collected directly from customers and paid directly by this operating unit to provincial and federal tax agencies.
b. Products manufactured as a secondary activity by this business Report revenue from sales of products of own manufacture.
c. Repair and maintenance services
Include:
- labour revenue from installation, repair and maintenance work
- parts used in generating installation, repair and maintenance revenue are to be included at question a.
d. Rental and leasing of real estate.
Include rental and leasing of office space and other real estate.
e. Rental and leasing of products and equipment
Include rental and leasing of products and equipment whether or not they have been produced by this business.
| CAN$ '000 | |
|---|---|
| a. All products purchased for resale | |
| b. Products manufactured as a secondary activity by this business | |
| c. Repair and maintenance services | |
| d. Rental and leasing of real estate | |
| e. Rental and leasing of products and equipment |
2. What was the value of products where commissions and fees were earned by this business acting as an agent or broker?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Value of products
Report sale value of those products upon which this business has reported earning a commission or fee in the Revenue section question 1 c.
| CAN$ '000 | |
|---|---|
| Value of products |
3. Did this business purchase goods (raw materials, semi-finished, or finished goods) "off the shelf" outside of Canada and sell them "as-is" in foreign markets (including the U.S.) without altering the goods, and without the goods entering Canada before the sale?
- Yes
- No
- Don't know
Provide comments if desired.
4. On YYYY-MM-DD, last day of the fiscal year, did this business hold inventories abroad, including inventories in transit to Canada?
Include:
- raw materials, work in process, and finished goods recorded in this business's accounting books, but physically located outside of Canada
- goods purchased abroad for resale "as-is" in foreign markets.
- Yes
- No
- Don't know
Provide comments if desired.
5. What was the approximate value of inventories held abroad at the end of the reporting period?
Please report all amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars.
Value of inventories
6. Is the value reported above included in the closing inventories previously reported in question 1. to 3. from the expenses section?
- Yes
- No
COVID-19
1. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, did this business experience additional expenses to comply with public health and safety guidelines or corporate guidelines to be allowed to operate?
Additional expenses could include: purchases of cleaning supplies, sanitation measures, protective equipment for employees or customers and costs to retrofit business operations (e.g., Plexiglass barriers, new equipment that facilitates physical distancing, additional labour costs).
Public health and safety guidelines refer to guidelines from a federal, provincial or municipal health agency.
Yes
What were the total additional expenses in fiscal year 2021?
Report in thousands of dollars. For expenses less than $500, enter "0".
When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Additional labour costs, if applicable (CAN$ '000)
$ ,000
Other additional expenses (CAN$ '000)
$ ,000
As a result of the additional expenses or business conditions, did this business delay plans to expand operating capacity or undertake investments?
Yes
2. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, in which of the following ways did this business change operating methods?
Include both temporary and ongoing changes.
Select all that apply.
Adopt or expand upon a contact-less business model
e.g., e-commerce sales, drive-through, delivery, curbside pickup, offer virtual services
Retrofit the workspace
Invest in e-commerce platforms
Use business intelligence technologies
e.g., cloud-based computing systems and big data analytic tools
Develop new supply chains
Ask some or all employees to work from home
Introduce or accelerate the introduction of new goods and services
Increase prices charged to customers of certain goods and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Decrease prices charged to customers of certain goods and services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
Change marketing strategy
Include re-allocating marketing budget.
Increase marketing budget
Decrease marketing budget
Expand to new markets
Substitute capital for labour
e.g., automation, robots for use in producing goods and services
Provided extra staff training
e.g., job specific training, managerial training, training in new technology, training in new business practices, digital skills training, data literacy skills, other training and development
Downsize business activities
e.g., reduce goods and services offered
Reduce labour costs
e.g., lay off employees, furlough employees, request employees take vacation, reduce hours of employees, offer early retirement package, outsource work
Reduce costs other than labour costs
Take other actions
Specify the additional actions taken
OR
No changes to operating methods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
3. Due to COVID-19, did this business receive public financial relief to avoid layoffs through the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy or Temporary 10% Wage Subsidy programs?
Yes
How much did your business obtain through these means?
Financial relief received (CAN$ '000)
$ ,000
No
Sales by type of client
1. What was this business's breakdown of sales by the following types of client?
Sales by type of client
This section is designed to measure which sector of the economy purchases your services.
Please provide a percentage breakdown of your sales by type of client.
Please ensure that the sum of percentages reported in this section equals 100%.
a. to c. Clients in Canada
a. Individuals and households
Please report the percentage of sales to individuals and households who do not represent the business or government sector.
b. Businesses
Percentage of sales sold to the business sector should be reported here.
Include sales to Crown corporations.
c. Governments, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions (e.g., hospitals, schools)
Percentage of sales to federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments should be reported here.
Include: sales to hospitals, schools, universities and public utilities.
d. Clients outside Canada
Please report the percentage of total sales to customers or clients located outside Canada including foreign businesses, foreign individuals, foreign institutions and/or governments.
Include sales to foreign subsidiaries and affiliates.
| Percentage | |
|---|---|
| a. Clients in Canada — individuals and households | |
| b. Clients in Canada — businesses | |
| c. Clients in Canada — governments, not-for-profit organizations and public institutions | |
| d. Clients outside Canada | |
| Total percentage |
Province / country of origin and destination of products sold
1. According to our records, this business sells the following products.
Please review the list of products, and for each one, indicate whether it was sold during the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD.
Product # reported: NAPCS English Description
Was this product sold during this reporting period?
- Yes
- No
2. Did this business sell any other products during the reporting period of AAAA-MM-DD to AAAA-MM-DD?
- Yes
How many other types of products were sold? - No
3. For each additional product sold, please provide a brief description.
Description of Additional Product # reported
Product description
The goal of this section is to understand the supply chain for your products. We will ask for the percentage breakdown for each product sold according to the origin of the products purchased and the destination of products sold.
4. For Product Description, what was the cost of goods sold?
When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Cost of goods sold
Report the total cost of goods for this product. In the following question, you will be asked to provide the percentage breakdown of the total cost of goods according to the origin of the products (i.e., the province, territory or country outside Canada where the products were originally manufactured).
| Cost of goods sold | |
|---|---|
| Product Description |
5. For Product Description, what was the percentage breakdown of the cost of goods sold by origin (province, territory or country outside Canada)?
Note: The origin is the physical location where the products were originally produced/manufactured. The location of your supplier is an acceptable substitute.
The origin is, to the best of your knowledge, where the products were originally produced or manufactured (i.e., which province, territory or country outside Canada). If the origin is not known, an acceptable substitute is the location of this business's supplier.
Note: exclude intermediate shipping points between your supplier and you.
The total for the origin should be equal to 100%.
| % Purchased from origin | |
|---|---|
| Canada | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | |
| Prince Edward Island | |
| Nova Scotia | |
| New Brunswick | |
| Quebec | |
| Ontario | |
| Manitoba | |
| Saskatchewan | |
| Alberta | |
| British Columbia | |
| Yukon | |
| Northwest Territories | |
| Nunavut | |
| Outside Canada | |
| United States | |
| China | |
| Other | |
| Total percentage |
6. What were the sales of Product Description?
When precise figures are not available, please provide your best estimate.
Sales of Goods
Report the total sales for this product. In the following question, you will be asked to provide a percentage breakdown of the total sales of this product according to the destination (i.e., the province, territory or country outside Canada where the products will ultimately be used).
| Sales of goods | |
|---|---|
| Product Description |
7. For Product Description, what was the percentage breakdown of sales by destination (i.e., province, territory or country outside Canada)?
Note: The destination is where the products will ultimately be used.
For the product listed, please provide the percentage breakdown of the sales according to the destination.
The destination is, to the best of your knowledge, where the products will ultimately be used (i.e., which province, territory or country outside Canada).
Acceptable substitutes are:
- shipping destinations
- location of retail customers
- location of warehouses.
The percentages should sum to 100%.
| % Sold to destination | |
|---|---|
| Canada | |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | |
| Prince Edward Island | |
| Nova Scotia | |
| New Brunswick | |
| Quebec | |
| Ontario | |
| Manitoba | |
| Saskatchewan | |
| Alberta | |
| British Columbia | |
| Yukon | |
| Northwest Territories | |
| Nunavut | |
| Outside Canada | |
| United States | |
| China | |
| Other | |
| Total percentage |
Details on this business's locations
Details on this business's location # reported
The following questions ask for details on this business's location that was operational during the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD. For this location, please verify and update the address and provide the requested details.
The following questions ask for details on each of this business's # reported locations that were operational during the reporting period of YYYY-MM-DD to YYYY-MM-DD. For each location, please verify and update the address and provide the requested details.
1. Please verify the location address and correct where needed.
- Operating name
- Address (number and street)
- City
- Province, territory
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
- Postal code
Total operating revenue
Report dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars
2. Was this business location operational for the full year?
- Yes, full year operation
- No, part year operation OR non-operational
3. Statistics Canada reviews all feedback. We invite your comments pertaining to this business location.
Comments
4. What were this location's part year start and end dates?
Part Year Operation Start Date
Part Year Operation End Date
5. What was the reason(s) for part year operation?
Select all that apply.
- Seasonal operation
- Ceased operations
- New store
- Temporarily closed
- Change of fiscal year
- Moved
- Change of ownership
- Other
Specify other reasons
Details on this business's locations
6. Were there any other business locations not listed that were operating during the reporting period?
- Yes
How many locations? - No
Details on this business's additional location # reported
7. Please verify the business location address.
- Operating name
- Address (number and street)
- City
- Province, territory
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Manitoba
- New Brunswick
- Newfoundland and Labrador
- Nova Scotia
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
- Ontario
- Prince Edward Island
- Quebec
- Saskatchewan
- Yukon Territory
- Postal code
Total operating revenue
Report dollar amounts in thousands of Canadian dollars
8. Was this business location operational for the full year?
- Yes, full year operation
- No, part year operation OR non-operational
9. Statistics Canada reviews all feedback. We invite your comments pertaining to this business location.
Comments
10. What were this location's part year start and end dates?
Part Year Operation Start Date
Part Year Operation End Date
11. What was the reason(s) for part year operation?
Select all that apply.
- Seasonal operation
- Ceased operations
- New store
- Temporarily closed
- Change of fiscal year
- Moved
- Change of ownership
- Other
Specify other reasons
Notification of intent to web scrape
1. Does this business have a website?
Yes
Specify the business website address
e.g., www.example.ca
No
Statistics Canada is piloting a web data extraction initiative, also known as web scraping, which uses software to search and compile publicly available data from business websites. As a result, we may visit the website for this business to search for, and compile, additional information. This initiative should allow us to reduce the reporting burden on businesses, as well as produce additional statistical indicators to ensure that our data remain accurate and relevant.
We will do our utmost to ensure the data are collected in a manner that will not affect the functionality of the website. Any data collected will be used by Statistics Canada for statistical and research purposes only, in accordance with the agency's mandate.
Please visit Statistics Canada's web scraping initiative page for more information.
Please visit Statistics Canada's transparency and accountability page to learn more.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Statistics Canada Client Services, toll-free at 1-877-949-9492 (TTY: 1-800-363-7629) or by email at infostats@canada.ca.
Changes or events
1. Indicate any changes or events that affected the reported values for this business or organization, compared with the last reporting period.
Select all that apply.
- Strike or lock-out
- Exchange rate impact
- Price changes in goods or services sold
- Contracting out
- Organizational change
- Price changes in labour or raw materials
- Natural disaster
- Recession
- Change in product line
- Sold business or business units
- Expansion
- New or lost contract
- Plant closures
- Acquisition of business or business units
- Other
Specify the other changes or events: - No changes or events
Contact person
2. Statistics Canada may need to contact the person who completed this questionnaire for further information. Is the provided given names and the provided family name the best person to contact?
- Yes
- No
Who is the best person to contact about this questionnaire?
- First name:
- Last name:
- Title:
- Email address:
- Telephone number (including area code):
- Extension number (if applicable):
The maximum number of characters is 5. - Fax number (including area code):
Feedback
3. How long did it take to complete this questionnaire?
Include the time spent gathering the necessary information.
- Hours:
- Minutes:
4. Do you have any comments about this questionnaire?