Handelsandel

Handelsandel is a statistical concept used in Nordic economic analysis to describe the proportion of trading activity within a defined market attributable to a given actor, product group, or geographic area. The term combines handel (trade) and andel (share) and is used as a complement to broader measures such as market share, emphasizing the scale of trade flows rather than only consumer demand.

Etymology and usage: The term is common in Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish business and policy texts. Definitions vary, but most uses define handelsandel as the share of total traded value or volume within a specified market period.

Calculation: Handelsandel can be computed as the entity's traded value divided by the market's total traded value over a period, or by transactional volume. Data sources include customs records, trade registers, retailer or platform data, and industry surveys. Distinctions exist between value-based and volume-based measures, and between gross shares and net shares that exclude intercompany transfers.

Applications and limitations: It helps assess relative prominence of traders in a market, support antitrust analyses, and plan supply chains. Limitations include data availability, inconsistent market boundaries, treatment of intermediaries and cross-border reporting, and sensitivity to definitions of the market and period. Handelsandel does not reflect profitability or overall market power directly.

See also: Market share, Trade volume, Trade statistics.