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Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling: ABS business counts

ANZSIC class 4320, in the Retail Trade division.

Actively trading businesses in Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling (ANZSIC class 4320) across Australia, June 2025
5,246 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
Actively trading non-employing businesses in Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling (ANZSIC class 4320) across Australia, June 2025
3,671 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025.
ABS business entries in Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling (ANZSIC class 4320) across Australia: counted at June 2025 but not June 2024
901 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.
ABS business exits in Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling (ANZSIC class 4320) across Australia: counted at June 2024 but not June 2025
1,088 businessesAustralian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25.

About these figures

  • These ABS figures count actively trading businesses, not workers, sites or venues, each in its main state or territory.
  • Entries and exits compare two 30 June counts. They are not counts of openings and closures.
  • The ABS adjusts its counts slightly to protect confidentiality, so a small number or a zero is approximate, not proof that no such business exists.

Summary of the ABS class definition

In this class, the ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in buying and/or selling goods to the general public on a fee or commission basis. These activities include businesses who arrange the sale of goods on behalf of a principal, but do not take title to the goods themselves.

Examples the ABS lists:

  • Commission-based milk vending
  • Commission buying service
  • Commission retailing of books
  • Commission retailing of cosmetics
  • Commission retailing of health foods
  • Commission selling service

The ABS counts businesses mainly engaged in this related work in other classes:

  • the commission-based buying and selling of real estate are included in Class 6720 Real Estate Services
  • the broking of financial or insurance services are included in the appropriate classes of Subdivision 64 Auxiliary Finance and Insurance Services
  • providing auction services are included in Class 3800 Commission-Based Wholesaling

The ABS page for class 4320 gives the full definition and what the class leaves out.

By employment size

Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling businesses across Australia by employment size
BusinessesCount
All businesses5,246 businesses
Non-employing3,671 businesses
1 to 4 employees1,265 businesses
5 to 19 employees268 businesses
20 to 199 employees41 businesses
200 or more employees0 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

By turnover

Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling businesses across Australia by turnover
BusinessesCount
Zero to less than $50k1,599 businesses
$50k to less than $200k1,903 businesses
$200k to less than $2m1,458 businesses
$2m to less than $5m184 businesses
$5m to less than $10m52 businesses
$10m or more50 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3, June 2025. Checked 16 Oct 2026.

Entries and exits, 2024-25

Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling businesses across Australia over 2024-25
BusinessesCount
At the start of the year5,433 businesses
ABS business entries901 businesses
ABS business exits1,088 businesses
At the end of the year5,246 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, 2024-25. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

By main state or territory

Retail Commission-Based Buying and/or Selling businesses by main state or territory
BusinessesCount
New South Wales1,496 businesses
Victoria1,958 businesses
Queensland988 businesses
Western Australia428 businesses
South Australia242 businesses
Tasmania69 businesses
Australian Capital Territory44 businesses
Northern Territory18 businesses
Other Territories or Currently Unknown3 businesses

Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2, June 2025. Checked 15 Oct 2026.

Sources

  1. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 2: Businesses by main state by industry class by employment size ranges (8165DC02.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 15 October 2026.

  2. Counts of Australian Businesses, data cube 3: Businesses by main state by industry class by turnover size ranges (8165DC03.xlsx). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Counts of Australian Businesses, including Entries and Exits, June 2021 to June 2025, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 16 December 2025, checked 16 October 2026.

  3. Correspondence, GCCSA 2021 to GCCSA 2026 (CG_GCCSA_2021_GCCSA_2026.csv). Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.

  4. Greater Capital City Statistical Areas digital boundary file, 2026 (GCCSA_2026_AUST_SHP_GDA2020.zip). Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 4, licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 22 July 2026, checked 15 October 2026.

  5. Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0): the detailed classification. Based on Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC), 2006 (Revision 2.0), licensed under CC BY 4.0 (CC BY 4.0). Released 26 June 2013, checked 16 October 2026.

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