Sector revenue rises 3.2%, with retail in front
The operating revenue index for retail trade, excluding motor vehicles and motorcycles, rose +5.2% against the same quarter of 2025. Revenue from the sale and repair of vehicles rose +2.7%, and wholesale trade +0.8%.
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Wholesale and Retail Trade Statistics for Q2 2026. Retail and wholesale exclude motor vehicles and motorcycles.
E-sales grow at about three times the sector’s pace
The e-sales index for the sector rose +9.8% against the same quarter last year, compared with +3.2% for operating revenue overall. The online channel is growing at roughly three times the pace of the sector.
Retail leads with +13.4% growth in its e-sales, followed by wholesale at +6.5%, then vehicle sale and repair at +2.4%. Retail e-sales are growing at about two and a half times the pace of retail revenue itself (+13.4% against +5.2%).
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Wholesale and Retail Trade Statistics for Q2 2026. Comparison with the same quarter of 2025.
Workers in the sector: compensation grows 9%
The compensation of employees index for the sector rose +9.0% against the same quarter last year, an indicator of what is paid to those who work in it. Retail recorded +10.8%, wholesale +6.6%, and vehicle sale and repair +5.7%.
That means compensation in retail is growing at about twice the pace of the activity’s own revenue (+10.8% against +5.2%). An encouraging reading of the sector’s labour market, and at the same time a practical accounting question: what share of your revenue goes to the cost of your people?
| Activity | Revenue growth | Compensation growth | E-sales growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | +5.2% | +10.8% | +13.4% |
| Wholesale trade | +0.8% | +6.6% | +6.5% |
| Vehicle sale and repair | +2.7% | +5.7% | +2.4% |
| Whole sector | +3.2% | +9.0% | +9.8% |
Source: General Authority for Statistics, Wholesale and Retail Trade Statistics for Q2 2026, against the same quarter of 2025. Retail and wholesale exclude motor vehicles and motorcycles.
What this means for those who sell retail and wholesale
The numbers describe a sector expanding in two channels at once: the shop and the internet. The business that runs both through one organised set of books is the one that knows where it actually earns.
First, make online selling a core part of your books. A channel growing +9.8% should not sit outside the accounting system. Every sale, from the shop or from the internet, needs a compliant invoice, and e-invoicing in Qoyod complies with Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority requirements for Phase 1 and Phase 2.
Second, measure the cost of your people as a share of revenue. Record salaries as a separate expense line, then compare them with revenue period after period. The income statement in Qoyod shows expenses by line, and its reports compare up to 13 consecutive periods, so you see whether the ratio is improving or holding.
Third, know the margin of each item. The product cost and profit margin report shows average cost and margin per item, category and location, calculated from actual purchase invoices. In a sector where retail revenue grows faster than wholesale, the highest-margin items decide where your shelf space and advertising budget go.
Fourth, if you sell in a shop, set up the till. The point-of-sale system lets you define who may grant a discount and their maximum percentage, and it works without an internet connection. But an invoice whose sync has not completed is lost if the user signs out before it finishes, so make the rule: no sign-out before sync. Note that the point-of-sale system is a paid add-on, separate from the accounting plans and not included in the free trial.
Prepared by Qoyod based on documented system capabilities and General Authority for Statistics figures.
Recommendations
Four practical steps to take from the numbers in this report:
- Benchmark your growth against the sector: +5.2% in retail and +3.2% overall. If you are below, the opportunity is there; if you are above, find the source of the gap.
- Track your online sales as an independent indicator, and compare them with the channel’s sector growth (+9.8% overall and +13.4% in retail).
- Calculate payroll as a share of revenue every quarter, since retail compensation is growing at about twice the pace of its revenue.
- Review each item’s margin before expanding the online channel, because expanding into low-margin items does not raise profit.
Revenue up +3.2%, e-sales up +9.8%, and employee compensation up +9.0%: these are the numbers of a sector expanding in the shop and online together within the path of Saudi Vision 2030. The business that reads its growth at the level of the item and the channel is the one that takes its share of it.