The organization of commercial activity in market conditions is considered; factors influencing its performance. The role of business entities in the market is characterized. The main forms, methods and tools of commercial activity in wholesale and retail trade are described. The previous edition was published in 2010. For students of the specialty "Commercial activity (commodity science)" of institutions of secondary specialized education, students of higher education institutions, trade specialists, entrepreneurs.

A series: university. For students of higher educational institutions

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by the LitRes company.

1. The essence and content of commercial activities in the market of goods and services

1.1. Commercial activity as an economic category, its essence and goals

The concept of "commercial activity"

It is important to clearly define the concept of "commercial activity" and the relationship with other related categories, such as "business", "entrepreneurship", "marketing", in order to understand the economic meaning and role of commercial activity in the field of business.

Business - a general economic term that characterizes the economic activity of entities in a certain area of ​​business, generating income or providing benefits in the presence of a certain risk.

Entrepreneurship in accordance with the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus, it represents an independent activity of legal entities and individuals whose product of activity is intended for sale to other persons for the purpose of making a profit, carried out at their own risk, on their own behalf and under their property responsibility.

Marketing in a broad sense, it is considered as a philosophy, a market concept of entrepreneurship and offers tools, methods, techniques with which you can achieve your goals. These tools and methods are used in commercial activities in the market of goods and services to perform their own functions and operations. There is a direct connection between marketing and commercial activities due to the homogeneity of their goals: making a profit through satisfying the needs of customers. But there are also differences: marketing acts as a concept aimed at creating a need, demand, motivation to buy, but does not serve the process of buying and selling itself. This function is performed by commercial activity, through commercial operations that have an absolutely independent value and are not covered by marketing. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a common goal and the desired effect using marketing and commerce in combination.

Thus, commercial activity is an independent type of activity, which is based on market laws and principles, manifests itself in various forms and occupies an important place in the sphere of circulation.

There are various definitions of commercial activity in the economic literature. The term "commerce" (from the Latin commercium - trade) has a dual meaning: firstly, it covers the trade sector, and secondly, trade processes aimed at activating and implementing purchase and sale, accompanied by a commercial transaction, exchange and promotion of goods to the final consumer. In this case, in a market economy, the common medium of exchange is money, and the place of exchange of goods for money is the market, which most fully reflects commercial activity.

On the basis of the foregoing, it is possible to formulate the concept of commercial activity in the market of goods and services, which to the greatest extent reflects its essence and specific features.

Commercial activity in the market of goods and services is an organizational and economic operation that serves the exchange, the commission of acts of sale and purchase in order to obtain profit (benefits) through the best satisfaction of demand.

Commercial activity provides for the implementation of a complex of trade and organizational operations and their management. It is based on theoretical and practical knowledge of the organization and technique of commercial operations.

In order for the exchange to take place, it is necessary to perform interrelated actions arranged in a certain sequence that provide organizational, economic, social and legal aspects of the process. These activities are commercial in nature. These include: market research and determining the need for goods, searching for suppliers, buyers, concluding contracts, ensuring their implementation, etc. Through commercial activities, links are established between manufacturers of goods and end consumers, and exchange is managed. The operations performed in the course of this activity are of a commercial nature and affect the final results of the work of trade organizations.

The economic nature of commercial activity determines the increase in its role in the development of market relations. At the same time, it is necessary to focus on the following important characteristics of commercial activity:

It is carried out in the process of exchanging the products of labor of economically independent subjects;

Promotes the alienation of the products of labor from their owner and for the exchange and satisfaction of other people's needs;

Promotes exchange organized according to the laws of economic expediency.

The foregoing emphasizes that commercial activity should be focused on achieving the desired economic and financial results within the legal framework, and not only on qualified technical performance of operations that serve the sale and purchase process.

The success of commercial activity is determined by its continuous cycle, which involves the implementation of the economic essence:

Optimization of costs when purchasing facilities, equipment, raw materials, involvement of labor, information, financial and other resources in the formation of the infrastructure of business entities;

Formation of profitability potential by reducing all types of costs;

Optimization of sales profits through innovative and efficient technologies.

The interruption of this cycle, the inability to achieve the target tasks identified at each of the listed stages, lead to an increase in commercial risks up to bankruptcy.

Essence of commercial activity

Commercial activity acts as a way to implement commercial relations between market entities, which become dominant in a market-oriented economy. These relations are designed to stimulate production, develop needs, and activate commodity-money exchange. Therefore, commercial activity, being an objectively necessary category of a market economy, has a priority and occupies a leading position.

The essence of commercial activity is an integrated approach to organizing a set of commercial processes and operations aimed at performing commercial functions in the implementation of commodity-money exchange in all its phases.

As noted above, commercial activities include processes and operations of an organizational, managerial, legal and economic nature. It does not cover technological operations performed along the entire path of movement of goods from production to the consumer, such as loading, unloading, packaging, packaging, storage, sorting, preparation of goods for sale. These operations reflect the technology of trading processes. Commercial activity and technology of trading processes are interconnected, but each of them has its own place and functions.

Without commercial activity there can be no technology, just as without technology there can be no commercial activity. These disciplines form the system of functioning of the trading industry. Commercial activity takes place not only in the trading industry, but also in the manufacturing, service, intellectual property, technology, and securities markets. It is based on the organization and management of commercial processes.

Commercial Process means the consistent execution of operations that provide organizational, economic, social, legal aspects of commodity-money exchange.

The set of specific operations depends on what stage of the exchange the commercial process serves and on what scheme the exchange is carried out. For example, in the presence of intermediaries, the path of movement of commodity-money exchange develops as follows: manufacturer → one or more wholesale intermediaries → retail trade → end consumer, and in their absence: manufacturer → end consumer without intermediaries. commercial operation is an important component of commercial activity, which is a set of techniques and methods that ensure the functioning of different stages of commodity-money exchange. All commercial operations can be divided into main and auxiliary. Some of them have specific features (for example, exchange, auction operations).

Thus, commercial activity consists of commercial processes and transactions that take place in the process of interaction of market entities in order to ensure the efficient exchange of goods and services.

Commercial activity as a function ensures consistency and complexity, integrating the organizational, managerial, financial, economic, legal aspects of the entire exchange system, in order to achieve the greatest efficiency and profit. In a market economy, such a function is a priority, as it is able to secure a foothold in the market, competitive advantages, and prevent bankruptcy. It ensures success not only in the national market, but also in foreign markets, serving international exchange. It is necessary to study the specifics, advanced achievements in this area and use all the best in practical work.

Purpose of commercial activity

The main purpose of commercial activity is to make a profit. It can be implemented in various fields of activity: manufacturing, trading, financial, exchange, intermediary, etc. Most often, entities are forced to engage in several types of activities, diversify them, responding to market changes.

Despite the fact that in the context of the development of market relations, the role of commercialization (profit making) is increasing, the solution of social problems is also important. On the part of the state, a system of economic levers must be determined that ensures the solution of social problems while creating favorable conditions for effective commercial activity. This type of activity should be beneficial to everyone who is engaged in it, ensure the active development of the economy and a sufficient flow of funds to solve social problems.

At the same time, making a profit is also an intermediate goal for both businessmen and the state. Profit is necessary to satisfy certain needs, solve tasks, achieve goals, ensure innovative development. If consumption is activated, then production develops, and the economy as a whole revives. Needs are the driving force behind commercial activity: there is no need - there is no demand, the need for the production of goods; no profit - no investment, no development. Therefore, commercial success lies in the search and formation of needs and the most effective ways to meet them. This is done through the implementation of acts of sale. It is important to track how much profit is received and how it is used. Commercial goals must be achieved not at any cost, but through the implementation of the most effective commercial solutions.

1.2. The role of commercial activity in a competitive environment

Prerequisites for changing the role of commercial activity in the new economic conditions

In a market economy, when carrying out commercial activities, economic management methods should be used to a greater extent, focused on making a profit through satisfying consumer demand.

The creation of favorable conditions for the development and improvement of commercial activities, which play a significant role in the socio-economic development of the country, is facilitated by Directive No. 4 of December 31, 2010 "On the development of entrepreneurial initiative and stimulation of business activity in the Republic of Belarus", which provides for the development of fair competition, increasing the quality of legal regulation and responsibility of business entities, the creation of equal working conditions on the territory of the common customs space of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan.

In this case, in order to adapt commercial activities to market conditions, it is necessary to form background, most favorable for the active development of commodity-money relations. The most important of them are:

Legal equality of all forms of ownership;

Economic independence of economic subjects of the market, their responsibility for the results of their work;

Freedom to enter the market;

Demonopolization, denationalization, ensuring the emergence of a large number of competitors on the market, creating conditions for healthy competition;

Free pricing, balancing supply and demand;

Sustainable financial system;

Openness of the economy;

Development of market infrastructure.

Establishing a market mechanism takes a long time to implement reforms. It is important to correctly determine the role of the state in the formation of market relations, the degree and forms of participation. This role should be:

In improving the legal framework that promotes the development of market relations;

Stabilization of the economy;

Using an efficient system of taxation and crediting;

Customs policy;

Protection of competition;

Consumer rights protection;

Formation of a mechanism for managing natural and raw materials, ensuring their efficient use and enhancement.

Directions for improving business activities

As market relations develop, it becomes necessary to improve commercial activities in the following way:

Adapt commercial functions, operations to market conditions;

To form the competitive advantages of the product, to concentrate efforts by improving the methods of sale and service support;

Calculate commercial risks and take proactive measures to reduce them;

Constantly improve the skills of employees of commercial services, providing a creative, innovative approach to solving problems;

Use a strategic approach to the organization of commercial activities, ensuring its dynamic development for a long period;

Effectively satisfy existing needs, form new ones, develop demand, search for additional market segments, create competitive advantages;

Achieve profit through the best satisfaction of consumer demand while reducing costs.

Increasing the efficiency of commercial activities contributes to the use of principles, tools and methods of marketing in its organization. This will orient commercial activity to specific consumers, their requirements for goods, sales. This approach allows you to achieve your goals while reducing costs and commercial risks.

Consider the features of commercial activities based on the marketing concept.

Trading organizations that operate in market conditions are forced to use other methods to make a profit - the main commercial goal. This goal can be achieved primarily by identifying, shaping and satisfying the needs of buyers. To solve this problem, more attention should be paid to marketing research, analysis and use of the information received to justify commercial decisions.

If a trade organization sets itself the goal of achieving profit and a stable position in the market, then it is forced to use the most effective tools and methods that marketing offers. The tougher the competition, the more actively and competently it is necessary to do this. Competition forces to constantly improve commercial activities, using an innovative approach.

Commercial activity in market conditions with a high level of market saturation with goods should be aimed at a comprehensive study of the market and consumer requirements for goods and services, and effective management of commercial processes. To do this, it is necessary to use market mechanisms for managing commercial activities, to economically justify the commercial decisions made that ensure the most complete consideration of the interests of specific consumers and satisfy them at the lowest cost.

In a competitive environment, it is not enough to pay attention only to the product and its quality; it is very important to strengthen the commercial and marketing support of the product, which is an active means of competition in the market.

The use of marketing concept tools in commercial activities in the new economic conditions will improve its efficiency, ensure the formation of competitive advantages, and the solution of strategic tasks. This is precisely the practical significance of marketing when applied in commercial activities in the consumer market in the new economic conditions.

Factors that determine the development of commercial activities

Commercial activity is carried out in a certain environment, under the influence of which the tools and methods used to solve the tasks are changing. This necessitates the identification of factors that have the most significant impact on commercial activity.

Factors that determine the development of commercial activity can be divided into external and internal.

TO external factors, independent of trading organizations include:

Economic liberalization;

Economic development trends;

The degree of development of commodity-money relations;

The level of income, the rate of their growth;

System of taxation and financing;

Legislative base, its stability and loyalty to business;

The degree of favorable environment for the development of commercial activities;

The degree of diversity of organizational and legal forms of business entities operating in the market, forming a competitive environment;

Trends in the development of foreign economic relations.

Internal factors, which depend on the activities of trade organizations are:

Degree of efficiency and adaptation to real conditions of forms and methods of work with subjects of commercial relations and consumers;

The scale of commercial activity;

The structure of the commercial apparatus, its qualifications, performance;

The effectiveness of the commercial strategy;

Innovative commercial solutions;

The use of modern achievements, best practices in the organization of commercial activities.

1.3. Principles, functions, tasks of commercial activity in modern conditions

Business principles

Principles commercial activities are the main provisions, rules that reflect its nature and emphasize the features of its organization in the market of goods and services. They are based on the laws of the market and are fundamental in organizing the relationship of business entities.

Commercial activity in a market economy is based on the following principles:

Economic freedom of business entities;

Competitiveness;

adaptability;

Risk reduction;

Efficiency.

Principle economic freedom assumes that the subjects of commercial activity are free to choose partners in commercial transactions, forms and methods of interaction with them, independently determine the volume and structure of purchases, terms of supply, mutual responsibility. The implementation of this principle is possible only in the conditions of market relations, when there are no limits, funds, quotas, attachment of buyers to suppliers, plans for the distribution of goods and other administrative measures. The rejection of them forces business entities to expand and intensify their initiative in commercial activities and take responsibility for the validity of decisions made.

Principle competitiveness is that in a market economy there are many sellers with an identical assortment of goods and buyers have a choice, which increases competition. Competitors are forced to fight for their market share, for their customers, which puts them in front of the need to find ways to stand out, using both price and non-price methods, improve commercial activities, perform business operations better than competitors, and secure competitive advantages in the market. The implementation of the principle of competitiveness gives dynamism to commercial activity, makes it necessary to quickly respond to customer requirements and changes in market conditions. To implement it, it is necessary to substantiate and anticipate the results of commercial activity on the basis of deep knowledge, analysis and consideration of market factors. The foundation on which this work is built should ensure the stable development of a trade organization, its stable financial position in the market.

adaptability as a principle of commercial activity expresses its ability to adapt to market conditions, to respond promptly and adequately to its changes. This requires the development of forms and methods of managing commercial activities that correspond to the market environment and changing conditions. A necessary condition for the implementation of this requirement is the decentralization of the regulation of commercial activities, the provision of maximum economic and creative freedom to commercial entities.

Risk reduction is an essential principle of commercial activity. There are many business risk factors. Commercial activity is carried out in conditions of uncertainty, dynamic market conditions, changing legal framework, credit system, taxation and other variables, which the subject of commercial relations often cannot influence, but is forced to look for ways to minimize risks. The search for acceptable solutions is an important component in improving the efficiency of commercial activities, forcing specialists in this field to look for extraordinary, innovative solutions.

Efficiency commercial activity is connected with the need to make a profit by developing new markets, increasing sales volumes, accelerating the turnover, optimizing the assortment, improving the culture of service, building a positive image, making informed commercial decisions. The implementation of this principle should be approached differently: in some markets, immediate results are needed, in others, it is necessary to work for the future, to the detriment of today's results. We must not forget about social efficiency, health, environment, safety, service culture. Ultimately, commercial activity should bring profit to business entities.

Business Functions

As already noted, commercial activity in the new economic conditions is based on the laws of the market, which determines it. functions.

The concept of commercial activity in a market economy implies a clear rationale for its strategy and the development of effective implementation tactics.

Based on this concept, commercial activity should perform the following functions:

Substantiation of the behavior of a trade organization in the market, strengthening its influence on it in order to optimize the assortment and profits, increase competitiveness, and the level of trade services;

An integrated approach to the organization of commercial activities, ensuring the efficient operation of all departments of the trade organization;

Purchase and sale management in order to ensure the economic interest of all participants in the commercial process, the stability of economic relations;

Study and development of potential needs, markets, segments in order to form competitive advantages;

Adaptation of commercial activities to the market environment in order to timely and adequately respond to its changes;

Optimization of costs associated with commercial activities, preparation and execution of commercial transactions.

Business objectives

In the process of commercial activity, both economic and social tasks. The goal comes to the fore - to make a profit, which also serves as a means for solving other equally important tasks, including social ones, and implies a high economic training of a specialist in commercial work.

The main objectives of commercial activities are:

Formation of relations between economic entities on the market on a mutually beneficial basis;

Increasing the role of supply contracts, strengthening contractual discipline;

Development of stable direct economic ties, increasing their efficiency;

Protecting the interests of consumers, ensuring their priority;

Introduction of progressive methods of wholesale and retail trade;

Increasing the level of work on the study of demand, the economic justification of the need for goods;

Improving the mechanism for managing commodity resources, supply and demand, the formation of a competitive assortment;

Promotion of sales of goods, after-sales service, provision of additional services;

Timely and adequate response to changes in the market.

Achieving a positive commercial result requires efforts to increase the advantages of a trade organization in any situation, even if it operates successfully in the market. Commercial work should be carried out actively, ensure a systematic increase in the volume of sales of goods and services while ensuring the profitable operation of a trade organization.

1.4. Subjects of legal relations and objects in commercial activities

Based on the fact that the implementation of commercial operations is a management activity, it is assumed that there are entities that carry out it, and objects to which this activity is directed. The most favorable conditions for the development of commercial activities are equality of subjects of all forms of ownership, voluntary, mutually beneficial interaction of subjects operating in the market, free pricing, economic responsibility for decisions made, fair competition, balance of the role, functions and tasks of the state and business entities.

To understand the mechanism of relations between participants in the market of goods and services, let us consider the main components of this system. These include subjects and objects of commercial legal relations involved in wholesale and retail trade in certain territories. With their help, the circulation of goods in the commodity markets through the sale and purchase, which serves commercial activities, is ensured.

Characteristics of the subjects of commercial legal relations of the market of consumer goods and services

According to the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus (Article 46), business entities by their legal status can be commercial and non-commercial organizations. Commercial are organizations that consider making a profit as the main goal of their activities and distribute it among the participants. non-commercial organizations are considered that do not aim at making profit and distributing it among the participants (public, religious organizations (associations), charitable foundations, etc., which are created to achieve social, environmental, charitable, cultural, educational, spiritual goals).

The legal status of organizations is determined depending on who and to what extent is liable for obligations, who has the right to conclude contracts on behalf of the organization, what are the taxation procedures for profits, reporting forms, liquidation procedures and other extremely important issues when establishing business relations with partners on the market.

The subjects of commercial legal relations are the parties entering into contractual relations for the sale of goods or the provision of services.

Let's consider the subjects realizing the commercial purposes.

As subjects of commercial legal relations in trade are legal entities and individual entrepreneurs engaged in trade and registered in the prescribed manner (STB 1393-2003 "Trade. Terms and definitions"). They are entitled to conduct commercial transactions in accordance with the legislation of the Republic of Belarus.

Legal entities - organizations that have separate property in ownership, economic management or operational management, bear independent responsibility for their obligations, can acquire and exercise property and personal non-property rights on their own behalf, perform duties, be a plaintiff and defendant in court, having passed state registration as a legal entity or recognized as such by a legislative act. Legal entities must have an independent balance sheet (Article 44 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Individual entrepreneurs are individuals (citizens) engaged in entrepreneurial activities without forming a legal entity from the moment of state registration as an individual entrepreneur (Article 22 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

The mechanism for regulating the relationship between commercial entities in trade should be considered as an integral part of the general mechanism for regulating legal relations between economic entities in the market as a whole. It includes the following components:

Legal relations with state bodies of all levels;

Relations of organizations, enterprises with each other;

Legal norms on the organization of economic relations;

Legal relations in arbitration consideration of economic disputes.

The subjects of legal relations of commercial activity can be created in the following organizational and legal forms (Article 46 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus):

Economic partnerships and companies;

Production and consumer cooperatives;

Unitary enterprises;

Peasant (farming) farms.

It is allowed to create associations of commercial organizations and (or) individual entrepreneurs in the form of holdings, associations and unions, state associations.

The main differences between the above forms are the ownership of capital, separate property, which can be owned, economic management, operational management, as well as the appropriation and distribution of profits, liability for obligations.

Business partnerships And societies commercial organizations are recognized with a charter capital divided into shares (shares) between founders (participants). The property created at the expense of the contributions of the founders, as well as produced and acquired by them in the course of economic activity, belongs to the partnership or company on the basis of ownership (Article 63 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Business partnerships can be created in the form of a general and limited partnership.

The partnership is complete in the event that, in accordance with the agreement concluded between them, all participants (general partners) are engaged in entrepreneurial activities on behalf of the partnership and jointly with each other bear subsidiary liability with their property for the obligations of the partnership (Article 66 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Limited a partnership is considered in which, in addition to general partners, there are one or more participants (contributors, limited partners) who bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the partnership, within the amount of their contributions, and do not take part in the entrepreneurial activities of the partnership (Article 81 of the Civil Code The Republic of Belarus).

TO business companies include: limited liability companies, additional liability companies, joint-stock companies, subsidiaries and dependent business companies.

Limited Liability Company (LLC) established by two or more persons. The number of participants must not exceed the limit established by legislative acts, otherwise the company is subject to reorganization within a year. The authorized capital of an LLC is divided into shares of sizes determined by the founders. The participants of the company are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with the activities of the company, within the value of their contributions (Articles 87–93 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Additional Liability Company (ALC) established by two or more persons. The authorized fund of the ALC is divided into shares, which are determined by the constituent documents. The participants of such a company jointly and severally bear subsidiary liability for its obligations with their property within the limits determined by the constituent documents, but not less than the amount established by the legislative acts of the Republic of Belarus. In the event of economic insolvency (bankruptcy) of one of the participants, its liability for the obligations of the company is distributed among the other participants in proportion to their contributions, unless a different distribution procedure is provided for by the constituent documents of the company (Article 94 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Joint Stock Company (JSC) has an authorized fund divided into a certain number of shares with the same nominal value. Shareholders (participants of a joint-stock company) are not liable for its obligations and bear the risk of losses associated with its activities within the value of their shares (Article 96 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus). The following organizational forms of joint-stock companies are possible:

An open joint stock company (JSC) is characterized by the fact that its participant can alienate his shares without the consent of other shareholders to an unlimited circle of persons. Such a joint-stock company has the right to carry out an open subscription for the shares it issues and their free sale on the terms established by the legislation on securities. In the case of placement of additionally issued shares at the expense of the company's own funds and (or) its shareholders, as well as in other cases provided for by legislative acts, the OJSC may carry out a closed (among a limited circle of persons) placement of additionally issued shares (Article 97 of the Civil Code of the Republic Belarus);

A closed joint stock company (CJSC) is a company whose member can alienate his shares only with the consent of other shareholders and (or) a limited number of persons. CJSC has the right to carry out only closed (among a limited circle of persons) placement of additionally issued shares. Shareholders of a CJSC have a pre-emptive right to purchase shares sold by other shareholders of this company (Article 97 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus);

Subsidiaries and dependent business companies.

Subsidiary a business company is recognized if the other (main) business company or partnership has the strength of the predominant participation in its authorized fund, or the strength of the predominant participation is determined by the agreement concluded between them. In this case, the decisions of the main company (partnership) are decisive. A subsidiary company is not liable for the debts of the main company (partnership). The parent company is jointly and severally liable with the subsidiary for transactions concluded by the subsidiary on the instructions of the parent company. In case of bankruptcy of a subsidiary due to the fault of the main company, the latter bears subsidiary liability for its debts (Article 105 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

addicted a company is recognized as a business company if another business company has a share (shares) in the authorized capital of this company in the amount corresponding to 20% or more of the total number of votes that it can use at the general meeting of participants in such a company (Article 106 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus ).

Production cooperatives (artels) are commercial organizations. Their participants are obliged to make a property share contribution, take personal labor participation in the activities of the production cooperative, bear subsidiary liability for its obligations in equal shares or in the amounts established by the charter, but not less than the amount of annual income received in the production cooperative (Article 107 of the Civil Code of the Republic Belarus).

Unitary enterprise (UE) a commercial organization is recognized that is not endowed with the right of ownership of the property assigned to it by the owner. The property of a unitary enterprise is indivisible and is not distributed among contributions (shares, shares), including between employees of the enterprise. In the form of unitary enterprises, state (republican or communal) unitary enterprises (their property is state-owned) and private (their property is privately owned by an individual or legal entity) can be created. There are unitary enterprises based on the right of economic management and on the right of operational management (state enterprise).

Property republican unitary enterprise (RUE) is owned by the Republic of Belarus and belongs to UE And operational management.

By decision of the Government of the Republic of Belarus, on the basis of property owned by the Republic, a unitary enterprise based on the right operational management, so-called public company, the constituent document of which is the charter approved by the Council of Ministers. The Republic of Belarus bears subsidiary liability for the obligations of a state-owned enterprise in case of insufficiency of its property. A state-owned enterprise may be reorganized or liquidated by decision of the Government.

Property communal unitary enterprise is owned by an administrative-territorial unit and belongs to such an enterprise

Property private unitary enterprise is privately owned by an individual (jointly owned by spouses or a peasant (farm) economy) or a legal entity and belongs to such an enterprise on the right of economic management.

Property subsidiary unitary enterprises is owned by the founder owner and owned by a subsidiary on the right of economic management(Article 113115 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Peasant (farm) economy is recognized as a commercial organization created by one citizen (members of the same family) who has made property contributions for the implementation of entrepreneurial activities for the production of agricultural products, as well as for its processing, storage, transportation and sale, based on his (their) personal labor participation and the use of a land plot in accordance with the legislation on the protection and use of land. A peasant (farm) economy is liable for its obligations with all its property (Articles 115-1, 115-2 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

To improve the efficiency of management of state enterprises, one can resort to the separation of managerial and economic functions by creating associations(including with the participation of foreign capital), associations, unions, financial and industrial groups, holding companies, determined by legislation relating to such groups. The first document that implements the legal regulation of the creation of holdings (holding companies and other business groups) in the Republic of Belarus is the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated December 28, 2009 No. 660 “On Certain Issues of the Creation and Operation of Holdings in the Republic of Belarus”. A holding, unlike business groups, without being a legal entity, is an association of commercial organizations (participants of the holding), in which one of them (the management company) has the ability to influence decisions made by other commercial organizations - participants of the holding (subsidiaries of the holding ). Appear cooperatively integrated associations, including the production of agricultural products, their processing and trade (for example, the Grodno Association of Grain Products, the Snov cooperative farm, etc.).

A variety of business entities allows developing market infrastructure and creating a most favorable environment for efficient commercial activity. The subjects of commercial relations can be both public and private, carry out their activities individually and in a collective form.

The subjects of the state form of ownership (republican and municipal) occupy a leading position, which requires an increase in the efficiency of their commercial work, which ensures rapid adaptation to the market situation.

The development of market relations determined the growth of subjects of commercial legal relations based on private property. This process is most active in the trading industry. On the basis of private property, commercial activities are conducted by both individual citizens and their teams (enterprises, organizations).

enterprise a property complex used for entrepreneurial activities is recognized as an object of law. The enterprise as a whole or its individual parts may be the object of sale, pledge, lease and other transactions (Article 132 of the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus).

Firm - this is a generalized name used in relation to many organizations (enterprises) engaged in commercial activities for the purpose of making a profit. They can have different volumes of activity, or they can be very small.

Commercial activities can be carried out by those who are not owners. For example, intermediaries operate in the market, who do not take ownership of the goods, do not own property, but extract profit from their activities and appropriate it. They are also participants in commercial activities, performing specific operations.

Industrial enterprises and trade organizations of various forms of ownership and departmental affiliation operate as subjects of commercial relations in the market of the Republic of Belarus.

With the development of market relations, the organizational and legal forms of entities engaged in the implementation of commercial activities are being improved and become more diverse. More favorable conditions are being created for the activation of small and medium-sized businesses. Persons engaged in commercial activities without forming a legal entity may use the right granted by the Civil Code of the Republic of Belarus to create simple partnerships. In this case, two or more persons enter into a joint activity agreement, undertaking to combine their contributions and act jointly without forming a legal entity (after registration and obtaining a license, if required by law) to make a profit within the legal field.

Trade is divided into internal and external. Domestic trade carries out sales in the domestic market of the country and covers wholesale and retail trade.

In the trade sector, commercial activities are carried out by public and private trade organizations.

TO public include trade organizations of ministries, departments, committees: the Ministry of Trade, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Communications and Informatization, etc. In the consumer market of the Republic of Belarus, a number of concerns subordinate to the government act as state subjects of commercial operations :

Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Oil Products (Belneftekhim Concern);

Belarusian State Concern for the Production and Sale of Light Industry Goods (Bellegprom Concern);

Belarusian State Food Industry Concern (Belgospischeprom Concern);

Belarusian industrial and trading concern of the timber, woodworking and pulp and paper industries (Concern "Bellesbumprom"), etc.

They carry out wholesale and retail trade, including through a network of their branded stores.

Participants of commercial activities (legal entities and individuals) work on the market with private ownership. In the trading industry, their number is increasing. Among them, it is necessary to single out business entities of consumer cooperation, cooperatives, individual entrepreneurs (individuals), organizations and enterprises with foreign capital.

The subjects of commercial legal relations can be business unions. Unlike firms (enterprises), the purpose of their activities is not to make a profit, but to represent and protect the interests of their business groups in government bodies, to promote and support in expanding their activities. They can provide advisory assistance, assistance in training, standardization and certification of products, etc. They are created in the form of unions, associations, federations, etc., they can be sectoral (for example, in the chemical industry) or unions by type of activity (in industry, trade, etc.).

As a rule, unions of entrepreneurs do not act on the market as an economic entity, but nevertheless, on behalf of trade organizations and industrial enterprises - members of the union can do this.

The parties entering into contractual relations for the sale of goods or the provision of services may be government bodies(various ministries and departments). They do not consider entering directly into economic relations as the main goal, and in most cases they are representatives and defenders of the interests of their organizations and enterprises and can carry out direct purchase and sale operations on their behalf. Examples include the ministries of agriculture and food, health, and industry.

There may be situations when relationships for the purchase and sale of goods and services enter into public organizations. These can be international organizations of the UN system that act as large buyers of goods, medicines, medical equipment, services, etc., in the implementation of some international programs (for example, when providing assistance to victims of accidents, natural disasters). In addition, such public organizations as the Society of Hunters and Fishermen, the Union of Artists, the Society for the Protection of Nature, the Society of the Disabled, the Defense Sports and Technical Society, the Dynamo Sports Society, the Society of the Deaf, the Association of the Visually Impaired and etc.

The subjects of commercial legal relations of the Belarusian Republican Union of Consumer Societies (“Belkoopsoyuz”) are: own manufacturing enterprises, coopzagotproms, wholesale, wholesale and retail, retail organizations, markets, unitary enterprises.

Own enterprises The majority of consumer cooperatives are engaged in the production of food products (bakeries, agricultural processing enterprises, sausage shops, mini-factories for the production of drinks, ice cream, etc.).

Koopzagotpromy they buy and sell fruits and vegetables, nuts, honey, mushrooms, furs and skins, etc. Their activities should provide a high level of trade services to the rural population in accordance with the Program for the Development of the Village and Rural Entrepreneurship. The interaction of consumer cooperation organizations with personal subsidiary and peasant (farm) farms will form the conditions for ensuring sustainable economic growth of consumer cooperation and improving the quality of life of rural residents.

Active commercial activities in the market of goods and services are carried out by wholesale, wholesale and retail and retail business entities.

IN wholesale trade such entities are wholesale organizations with their own infrastructure (wholesale depots, warehouses, refrigerated warehouses, fruit and vegetable stores, wholesale food markets, etc.).

IN consumer cooperation an important place is occupied by such subjects of commercial activity as republican, regional, inter-district and district wholesale depots, refrigerators, storage facilities, unitary trade organizations and enterprises that purchase goods, seasonal agricultural products, printed products (oblkoopknigotorg) for subsequent wholesale and uninterrupted supply of retail trade networks in your area of ​​operation.

In the field trade mediation commercial activities are carried out by exchanges, auctions, agency organizations, distributors, consignees, brokers, brokerage houses, leasing, factoring companies, etc.

TO wholesale and retail organizations include business entities that combine the functions of wholesale purchases and retail sales of goods directly to end consumers for personal use. For example, the Trading House as a subject of commercial relations is a diversified organization that carries out wholesale and retail trade in a wide range of goods and services. In addition to direct purchase and sale operations, its functions include credit and financial operations, as well as various services.

IN retail commercial activities are carried out by trade organizations through stores of various formats, catering establishments, pharmacies, objects for the sale of printed materials, etc.

Retail trade organizations of consumer cooperation that carry out commercial activities include district consumer societies, co-op department stores, unitary enterprises, etc.

Trade organizations of consumer cooperation, in addition to purchase and sale operations, may also carry out other activities.

Objects of commercial operations in the consumer market

Objects of commercial operations as managerial activities in the consumer market are goods and services. Let's consider them in more detail.

Product is a product of labor that satisfies any needs of the buyer, intended for exchange in the form of purchase and sale. Thus, any thing that is not limited in circulation, freely alienable and transferable from one person to another under a contract of sale refers to a product.

Service - the result of the activity of the subject of commercial relations, aimed at assisting buyers in making a purchase, delivering goods and in the process of using them, in order to meet the needs of buyers and increase competitiveness and commercial results.

The active saturation of the market with goods and services, their diversity and the strengthening of consumer requirements for them determine the need to improve commercial work.

Managing a product as an object of commercial legal relations involves the systematization of information about it and the use of this information in making strategic and tactical decisions.

Services are very diverse and complex as an object of legal relations in commercial activities. Requirements for them on the part of consumers are systematically growing, they are becoming an important component of the competitiveness of goods in the market. Often a product only together with a service and all attributes (packaging, labeling, design, shape, etc.) can provide a solution to consumer problems and be competitive.

The objects of commercial activity in trade (goods and services) are subject to certain requirements, some of which are determined by international, national standards, current laws and regulations. Another part of the requirements, and what is especially important in the face of increasing competition, is presented by the market, by consumers.

1.5. Description of the main elements that determine the content of commercial activities

Elements of commercial activity

Consider the main elements that reflect the content of commercial activities.

1. Information support of commercial activity. The main source of obtaining the necessary commercial information is a comprehensive study of the market. It is important to know supply and demand, market conditions, information about the product, its consumer properties, quality, purpose. For successful work in the market, it is necessary to study in detail the consumer (number of the population served, its structure, social composition, purchasing power) and competitors (their strengths and weaknesses, potential opportunities and intentions).

2. Determining the need for goods. At this stage of commercial work, based on the necessary information, it is necessary to determine the capacity of the market and its segments, justify the assortment structure of goods, delivery times and sizes of one-time lots.

3. Selection of partners for establishing business ties and distribution channels. This work begins with the study of possible sources of receipt of goods, the location of manufacturing enterprises, the volumes and structure of the goods they offer, the terms of delivery, the forms of payment and shipping methods, etc. Based on the information received, partners, participants in the movement of goods are selected, functions are distributed between them . This must be economically justified. When choosing partners for establishing economic ties, one should strive to identify the most effective option.

4. Commercial activities to establish economic relations between partners. After choosing partners to bring goods to the consumer, commercial operations are carried out to establish economic ties. This activity involves the definition of the form of economic relations, the development of a draft agreement, the negotiation process to agree on the terms of the agreement, the signing of the agreement.

5. Organization of wholesale purchases of goods. The existence of contractual relations between the supplier and the buyer implies the possibility of choosing organizational forms of procurement, conducting procurement using the most effective of them (wholesale fairs, stock exchanges, tenders). It is important to defend the most favorable terms of contracts, correctly arrange bulk purchases and ensure the fulfillment of contractual obligations.

6. Commercial activities for the wholesale of goods. At this stage, it is necessary to choose a form of wholesale, justify the feasibility of its use, determine operations that ensure effective sales in warehouse and transit forms, properly execute sales, and monitor compliance with the terms of the contract.

7. Commercial activities for organizing the retail sale of goods. This part of the commercial work is very responsible, since it is in the retail trade network that the process of bringing goods from production to the consumer is completed and the form of value changes, it is revealed how successful and expedient all previous work was. The main commercial operations at this stage are the management of the assortment of goods in stores, the rationale for the frequency and size of shipments, the choice of forms and methods of sale, sales promotion, image formation, merchandising.

8. Commodity resource management. Considering that the demand for goods is dynamic, and market conditions are changeable, the state of commodity stocks in trade should be systematically monitored. The presence of goods in sizes exceeding requirements leads to a slowdown in turnover, an increase in the costs associated with their storage and sale. The lack of goods can cause a decrease in sales volumes and a decrease in profits. Therefore, at this stage of commercial work, it is necessary to form commodity resources in accordance with demand, organize a rhythmic, uninterrupted supply of goods in the right batches, systematically monitor the movement of goods, sales deadlines, and make timely commercial decisions to manage them.

9. Work to promote goods on the market, ensuring the formation of demand, stimulating the sale of goods. This work must be systematic and efficient. It is achieved through the correct choice of tools and means that ensure their effective use, justification of the expediency of their use, and performance evaluation. The main task at this stage of commercial activity is to ensure effective advertising and information support of the goods on the market, the formation of a positive attitude towards the buyer and the motivation for action - the acquisition of goods.

10. Provision of services, service support of goods. With the development of the goods market, it becomes necessary to expand the services provided to the population and partners in economic relations. As the market is saturated with goods and competition intensifies, services and their quality can become decisive for attracting buyers and strengthening market positions. Services must accompany the goods along the entire path of its movement. They are in the pre-sale period, at the time of sale and in the after-sale period. The task is to study the needs of buyers for services and offer those that they are willing to pay for.

11. Development of a commercial strategy for a trade organization. It involves analytical work, the use of commercial information, the definition of the mission, goals and objectives of commercial activities, the development of a strategy, the evaluation of its effectiveness, the development of tactics for its implementation, taking into account the potential of a trading organization and market conditions, monitoring performance, timely adjustment when market conditions change.

The relationship of elements of commercial activity

Commercial activity is systemic in nature, as it consists of separate elements (parts) that ensure the implementation of certain functions, combined to achieve a common goal. These elements interact with each other and the environment. The elements that form a commercial system are discussed above. Consistency is confirmed by the presence of the following properties:

Interaction and integrity - suggest that the elements included in the commercial activity are designed to perform different functions, but together provide unity of purpose and commercial focus;

The presence of a close connection between the elements of commercial activity - requires the qualitative implementation of each element to ensure the effectiveness of the system as a whole;

Organization - ensures the operation of all elements of the commercial system in the desired sequence and with the necessary result, which contributes to orderliness and organization;

Iterativity - defines an integrated approach to the use of all elements, provides the cumulative effect of a commercial system.

None of the elements of the commercial system can be excluded without compromising the final result. None of the elements, taken separately, can also ensure the solution of the set goals, but together in the system they enhance the positive result.

Commercial activity is carried out all the way the product enters the market. In order to start the promotion of goods, it is necessary to perform a number of commercial operations: calculation and justification of the need for goods for the region both in terms of volume and structure, selection of suppliers and ways of promoting goods, conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods. Only then does the movement of goods begin.

Next, it is necessary to determine the commercial operations that must be performed at the moment when the goods enter the sphere of circulation, to the wholesale link: control over the execution of supply contracts, the formation of an assortment of wholesale depots, the impact on manufacturers of goods on the release of the required assortment, the conclusion and implementation of supply contracts with retailers. trade, development of a commodity supply system.

In retail trade, commercial work involves the organization of the sale of goods to customers: the formation of the product range of stores, the choice of the most appropriate methods for selling goods and the system of payments for them, the activation of sales and sales promotion, the provision of services, after-sales service.

Thus, it is possible to distinguish groups of commercial operations serving various stages of the commercial process (Table 1.1).

TO first group include operations that are performed when establishing relationships with manufacturing organizations.

Second group includes commercial work regulating the relationship of wholesale and retail trade.

Third group combines commercial operations related to the retail sale of goods.

Fourth group includes operations that are necessary to varying degrees along the entire path of product distribution from the producer to the consumer.

The number of commercial transactions, their sequence and significance are determined depending on the chosen way of goods distribution and the system of economic relations.

Considering that commercial activity is associated with the promotion of goods on the market and its sale, it is a special type of activity that takes place whenever a sale takes place. Forms and methods of its implementation are not the same in different economic conditions.

In the conditions of market relations, the forms and methods of commercial activity are undergoing significant changes and must be improved.

Table 1.1

Commercial operations serving various stages of the commercial process

The focus should be on the interests of the end user. In market conditions, a comprehensive study of the market, the requirements for goods and methods of their sale, as well as for after-sales service, is of exceptional importance. The merchant is obliged to provide effective use of the business management mechanism, which implies:

Deep knowledge and skillful application of the latest achievements by commercial entities in conducting commercial operations;

Efficient combination of main and supporting operations;

Rational use of the advantages arising from the specific situation in which it is necessary to carry out commercial operations;

Skillful application of forms and methods of trade in goods, services and management of this process.

The openness of the economy necessitates the unification of the elements of the economic mechanism that regulates the sphere of exchange, forms and methods of conducting commercial transactions.

Features of commercial activity in wholesale trade

Feature of commercial activity in wholesale trade It is defined by the fact that wholesale trade entities purchase goods in large quantities for the purpose of their subsequent sale to other business entities, as a rule, in smaller quantities, at a profit for themselves. In addition, there is a need to provide its wholesale customers with various services.

This forces them to search for suppliers of goods and potential wholesale buyers. Efficiency of work is determined by how profitable the difference between costs and income will be for bulk purchases and wholesale sales in the aggregate.

A feature of commercial activity in the wholesale trade is the need to accumulate and create conditions for the preservation of inventory, the transformation of the production range into a trade one, ensuring uninterrupted satisfaction of the demand of its customers both in terms of volume and assortment. In addition, the peculiarity of commercial work in the wholesale market involves the performance of a complex intermediary function between manufacturers of goods and retail trade organizations.

The peculiarity of commercial work is also due to the fact that the commercial services of wholesale trade organizations must have an effective system for collecting, processing and practical use of commercial information in order to actively influence the formation of the product range produced by commodity producers. On the other hand, commercial work in the wholesale market requires close interaction with its customers - retail trade organizations, individual trade facilities. There is a need to provide them with all possible practical assistance of a material, advertising, informational, and advisory nature.

Features of commercial activity in retail trade

commercial work in retail has its own specific features. It is here that the recognition or non-recognition of the goods by the end consumer is carried out. If the consumer comes to the conclusion that the product, its service support, the presence of related products, as well as market paraphernalia (trademark symbols) meet his requirements, he buys it. There is a change in the form of value and compensation for the costs associated with the production and bringing the goods to the consumer. If the product has not found its buyer, then the costs increase every day of its storage. This situation negatively affects the final results of the retail trade organization. Frequent repetition of a similar situation can lead to the financial insolvency of a trade organization.

Therefore, we can conclude that the success of commercial work in retail trade largely depends on how qualified and timely the commercial service can study, take into account and satisfy the requirements of customers. The result of this work is considered positive if the trade organization is able to form a competitive assortment of goods and manage it promptly.

Features of commercial work in retail trade are determined by the forms and methods of sale, their promotion, service policy, the need to take into account the interests of a huge number of buyers whose requirements are changeable, and purchases are small.

1.6. Commercial services of trade organizations, their functions

Commercial services of trade organizations, their functions

Commercial Services depending on the goals and objectives, they have a different structure and functions. In the conditions of market relations, there is a departure from unified organizational structures, since there is a need for their formation, taking into account adaptation to specific goals and objectives.

There are different levels of business organization and management:

Macro level (national economic);

Meso level (sectoral);

Micro level (the level of a business entity).

On the macro level the task is to coordinate the actions of all participants in commercial activities, to form a mechanism for balancing their interests and a legal framework for effective work. It is entrusted to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus.

On the mesolevel Trade management tasks are assigned to the Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Belarus, which is subordinate to the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Belarus. Decisions made by the Ministry of Trade are binding on trade organizations at all levels, for business entities of different systems, legal forms and forms of ownership.

The Ministry of Trade has a vertical structure, including departments (departments) of local authorities. Main functions taking into account modern market standards are:

Carrying out state policy in the field of trade, public catering, consumer services;

Creation of a competitive environment, overcoming monopoly in the sphere of commodity circulation, ensuring equality of all forms of ownership in trade;

Coordinating the activities of all state authorities in the industry, local executive, administrative bodies and public organizations, eliminating regional and departmental barriers to the movement of goods, ensuring the necessary commodity flows to meet the needs of the domestic market;

Monitoring the situation in the domestic consumer market, providing access to the information received by legal entities and entrepreneurs to the information necessary to justify the decisions made;

Strategic planning for the development of trade, identification of priority areas for the Republic of Belarus, development of draft republican programs for the development of the trade industry;

Generalization of the practice of applying the legislation of the Republic of Belarus in trade, ensuring control over its observance by trade organizations of all forms of ownership, regardless of departmental affiliation, sending proposals for its improvement;

Protection of consumer rights and ensuring compliance with guarantees of quality and safety of goods;

Carrying out work on the formation of commodity resources for the country's consumer market, as well as conducting procurement and commodity interventions, accumulation of seasonal goods, determining the list of goods purchased at the expense of the budget on a tender basis;

Formation of modern commodity distribution networks, optimization of logistics flows, creation of transport and logistics centers;

Creation of conditions for the growth of demand for domestic products;

Providing conditions for the use of modern technologies in the trade sector;

Coordination of work on the development and efficient use of innovative technologies and funds allocated for their development, determination of modern requirements for the development of formats of retail facilities, organization of processes for the sale of goods and services, management of inventory, ensuring the acceleration of turnover, reducing distribution costs;

Carrying out work on the creation and development of information systems;

Coordination of exhibition, fair, advertising and foreign trade activities;

Consideration, within its competence, of complaints from citizens, including entrepreneurs, providing advice to legal entities and individuals on trade issues.

The Ministry of Trade of the Republic of Belarus focuses its activities to a greater extent on strategic issues, and local trade authorities, taking the initiative, aim their activities at the effective, innovative implementation of the tasks set.

Commercial services of specific trading organizations perform operational functions related to servicing the sale and purchase process and ensuring the efficiency of commercial activities.

For issues that are not within the competence of the Ministry of Trade, the norms defined by other ministries, such as the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Taxes and Duties, the Ministry of Economy, etc., which regulate issues of their competence related to commercial activities, are mandatory for trade organizations . At this level, the formation of rules for conducting commercial activities that are mandatory for all subjects of commercial legal relations is carried out by forming the legal framework for its functioning and organizing control over their observance.

In the system of consumer cooperation, which is subordinate to the above structures on general issues, the role of the sectoral level is played by Belkoopsoyuz. Commercial work in Belkoopsoyuz is carried out by the Department of Trade of Belkoopsoyuz, which includes departments formed according to functional and product characteristics. In addition, the marketing department and Belkoopvneshtorg provide commercial activities within the framework of their tasks.

Main functions of the commercial service of Belkoopsoyuz are:

Managing the commercial activities of all business entities in its system and creating an effective relationship with other market entities;

Protection of the interests of cooperative trade in higher bodies;

Development of a strategy for the development of the trade sector of consumer cooperation;

Procurement management of business entities;

Dissemination of best practices, new technologies in the trade sector, including information technologies;

Interaction with the industry in order to protect their own interests;

Determination of the strategy of foreign economic activity;

Determination of the innovation policy of Belkoopsoyuz in the trade sector.

The implementation of the above commercial functions at the regional level is carried out by the commercial service of the regional consumer unions. It is represented by the Department of Trade of the regional consumer union, which has departments specialized in commodity and functional principles, departments involved in marketing and foreign economic activity.

In addition to the above functions, which the commercial service of the regional consumer union implements in the area of ​​its activity, it has to:

Justify the need for goods in the zone of its activity;

Organize work on the formation of commodity resources;

Manage commodity resources, optimally distributing them across the regions of the region, using effective ways and channels of distribution;

Work in contact with industry, including local and own sources of commodity supply;

Develop and implement a commercial strategy for the trading industry based on modern efficient technologies;

Provide a high level of trade service and consumer protection.

In the trading industry, the lowest level, engaged in commercial work on microlevel, are business entities, trading facilities of various formats with different sales volumes and functions. They are very diverse, so it is not possible to unify the structure of these services. What they have in common, however, is the performance of operational commercial functions, many of which are complex, costly and constantly critically evaluated by buyers.

Considering the wide variety of business entities engaged in commercial activities, and the differences in their goals and objectives, we will consider the structure and functions of wholesale and retail trade organizations and trade facilities.

The main functions of the commercial apparatus of a trade organization are distributed as job responsibilities of specialists in the commercial apparatus. These include:

Studying the market situation, the demand of the population in the area of ​​its activity;

Justification of the need for goods for their retail facilities;

Commodity resource management;

Implementation of contract work;

Implementation of advanced technologies at retail facilities, their technical and material support;

Bringing retail facilities up to standard requirements, providing a high level of retail services, the necessary working conditions and the safety of inventory items;

Formation of demand and sales promotion;

Monitoring compliance with the legislative, regulatory framework, trade rules, consumer rights;

Ensuring cost-effective operation and competitiveness of a trade organization.

In the system of consumer cooperation, these functions are implemented by the district consumer society (RAIPO).

In a retail facility, all employees are engaged in commercial activities. The positive contribution of a particular store to the overall efficiency of the commercial activities of the trading organization as a whole largely depends on the understanding of each of them of their role. But still, it is possible to single out those who are responsible for organizing the commercial work of the store.

Overall responsibility rests with the store manager. In large stores, a commercial service can be created, represented by a sales department, or by individual specialists who will be engaged in commercial work. As a rule, these are merchandisers who perform the corresponding job duties. An important role in the organization of the commercial work of the store is also played by the heads of departments, sections, sellers, cashiers-controllers.

The significance of the work performed by these workers lies in the fact that they ensure the completion of the process of moving the product from the manufacturer to the final consumer. It is on them that it often depends whether the sale of the goods will be carried out and whether the buyer will come to this store for a purchase again.

To the most important commercial functions employees of a trading facility (shop) should include:

Studying the demand of the population of its area of ​​activity;

The study of commercial facilities of competitors, their advantages, disadvantages;

Justification of batches and frequency of importation;

Formation of a competitive, cost-effective assortment;

Promotion of goods of a domestic manufacturer, the formation of a positive image of these goods;

Commercial work for the sale of goods and the provision of services;

Assortment management, ensuring its renewal taking into account demand, control over the availability of commodity stocks, compliance with the deadlines for the sale of goods, the safety of their consumption;

Ensuring a high culture of service;

Formation of a positive image of the store.

The commercial functions of wholesale trade are implemented by manufacturers and intermediary suppliers. Intermediary providers can be:

Wholesale organizations and unitary enterprises;

Wholesale intermediaries (distributors, brokers, brokerage houses, agents, dealers, etc.);

Organizers of wholesale turnover (wholesale fairs, auctions, commodity exchanges, wholesale and small wholesale markets, warehouse stores, etc.). Their diversity determines the different tasks and functions that they implement.

The commercial service of the wholesale trade organization reports to the director. Depending on the volume of work, it is possible that this work is managed by a commercial director. Specific functions are performed by specialists of the sales department. The trade department is divided by functions into specialists involved in wholesale purchases and wholesale, marketing. Departments may have a different set and number of specialists (chief merchandiser, heads of trade departments, leading merchandisers for product groups, sales merchandisers, merchandisers-brackers, etc.).

Functions of the commercial service of wholesale trade organizations can be conditionally divided into three groups:

1) functions that ensure procurement work:

Study of suppliers, selection of the most attractive;

Choice of the form of wholesale purchases (at a fair, exchange, auction, etc.) and participation in their conduct;

Pre-contract work;

Work on the conclusion of contracts;

Organization of deliveries, execution of contracts, control over this process;

Formation of the assortment model of the wholesale base;

Claim work together with the legal service;

2) functions that provide wholesale:

Contractual work with buyers;

Managing the supply of goods to the retail network, uninterrupted provision of stores in the zone of its activity in the required volume and within the agreed time;

Rationalization of importation schemes and the importation system as a whole;

Provision of services to wholesale buyers;

3) organizational and market functions:

Market research, analysis of its conjuncture;

Expansion of the service area, search for new suppliers and buyers;

Influence on production on issues of production of competitive goods in demand;

Formation of a set of demanded services;

Development of a commercial strategy;

Ensuring the profitable operation of the wholesale trade organization and a stable competitive position in the market.

The commercial functions of other wholesale intermediaries and organizers of the wholesale turnover due to their special specifics will be discussed in the section "Commercial activities in bulk purchases and wholesale".

1.7. Requirements for commercial service professionals

The commercial functions of business entities operating in the market are complex and varied. Therefore, specialists engaged in commercial activities belong to a special category of workers who must have a large amount of knowledge and skills to solve complex problems, comply with the legal regime in force in the territory of the respective country.

High qualification implies knowledge of the laws and regulations governing commercial activities, the ability to conduct trade negotiations, formalize relationships when establishing economic ties, defend the most favorable terms for the supply of goods, and ensure the implementation of the contract.

In his activities, the merchant must ensure the growth of the economic potential of the trade organization, increase its competitiveness and the formation of advantages over competitors.

Competitive advantage can be achieved through a unique selling proposition, the use of effective means of promoting the product to the market, merchandising, the service the consumer needs, etc. If the merchant manages to achieve significant competitive advantages, then he can count on successful work in the market.

A commercial service specialist must be able to identify strategic goals and ways to achieve them in order to effectively use all resources (financial, material, labor, information). This is possible with the high competence and professionalism of specialists capable of making informed innovative decisions.

Commercial activity will be successful and civilized if it is built on the basis of compliance with the requirements of business ethics. The ethics of a merchant is a system of social values ​​based on the principles that determine the correct and incorrect behavior in the process of business relations of partners in the market and affect the goals and means of achieving them.

Commercial and legal culture is the basis of a businesslike, civilized conduct of commercial activities, which ensures the formation of a positive image in the business world. Taking a bribe, producing unsustainable products, destroying resources, harming a partner, falsifying documents, embezzling funds are examples of unethical behavior that does not contribute to success. A merchant must follow the rules developed over decades if he sets as his goal a long and fruitful work in the market.

In order to be successful in business, a specialist must:

Possess analytical skills, scientific foresight, innovative thinking, quick and adequate response to the market situation;

Be able to take the initiative to combine raw materials, financial and labor resources into a single process;

Be able to make decisions that bring profit;

Show initiative and innovation;

Assess risks and justify ways to reduce them.

In a competitive environment, when organizing commercial activities, it is important not only to perform a technological function - to bring a product from the sphere of production to the sphere of consumption, but also to ensure its sale and after-sales service at the lowest cost. The most important requirements for commercial professionals are:

Understanding the essence of commercial activity as a market category, its role in the effective management of subjects in the market;

Possession of knowledge in the field of legal regulation of commerce and entrepreneurship in general;

Possession of tools and methods for planning and managing commercial activities for long (strategic) and short-term periods;

Knowledge of modern achievements and technologies and the ability to use them in commercial activities;

Possession of methods of complex market research, its conjuncture, timely and adequate response to ongoing changes;

Ability to identify needs and generate new ones;

Studying the consumer, his requirements for commercial components, the ability to look at his activities through the eyes of the consumer;

Possession of methods and models to justify commercial decisions to determine the need for goods, select suppliers and channels for the delivery of goods, optimize the range;

The ability to assess the effectiveness of commercial activities and risks, timely adjust the tactics of commercial activities, taking into account the real situation on the market.

To meet the above requirements, a specialist in commercial services must have knowledge of many disciplines, a broad outlook, market thinking.

Questions to control

1. What is a commercial activity? How is this concept defined?

2. What is the essence of commercial activity and what is its role in a competitive environment?

3. What tasks are solved in the process of commercial activity?

4. What factors determine the development of commercial activity?

5. What principles underlie the organization of commercial activities?

6. What functions are implemented through commercial activities in modern conditions?

7. Who can act as subjects of legal relations in commercial activities in the consumer goods market?

8. What is the object of management in the implementation of commercial operations in the consumer goods market?

9. What are the main elements that form the content of commercial activity and how are they characterized?

10. What are the features of commercial activity in wholesale and retail trade?

11. What are the functions of the commercial services of the Ministry of Trade and Belkoopsoyuz?

12. What are the differences between the functions of commercial services of trade departments of wholesale and retail trade organizations?

13. What are the requirements for specialists in commercial services in modern conditions?

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The following excerpt from the book Commercial activity (S. N. Vinogradova, 2012) provided by our book partner -

Commercial activity is a narrower concept than entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship - the organization of economic, industrial and other activities that bring income to the entrepreneur. This can mean the organization of an industrial enterprise, and a rural farm, and a trading enterprise, and a service enterprise, a bank, a law office, a publishing house, a research institution, and so on. Of all these types of entrepreneurial activity, only a trading enterprise is a pure commercial activity. Thus, commercial activity should be considered as one of the types or forms of entrepreneurship. At the same time, in some types of entrepreneurial activity, there may be elements of commercial activity, but they are not decisive or main for them.

Thus, commercial activity in trade is a vast area of ​​operational and organizational activities of trade organizations aimed at completing the processes of buying and selling goods to meet the demand of the population and make a profit. Therefore, commercial activity in trade is a broader concept than just the act of buying and selling goods. To carry out such activities, a merchant needs to carry out a number of activities, starting with market research and searching for suppliers and ending directly with the sale and purchase act, as well as, possibly, providing a number of services, both before the sale of goods and after.

The complex of operational, organizational and economic operations for organizing commercial activities is not limited to buying goods from “some” supplier and selling these goods to “some” buyer, but also implies the establishment of a wide range of services related to the sale and purchase act, the establishment of permanent relationships with certain suppliers and with certain buyers.

That is, the goal of commercial activity is to maximize profits while optimally meeting the demand of a specific target segment of buyers. The implementation of these goals is guaranteed by the content of commercial activities: studying the process of forming a market for goods and services, substantiating the directions and scales of development of their production in accordance with the needs of society and individual segments of consumers, bringing goods to consumers and organizing the consumption process itself, commercial mediation and the establishment of contractual relationships in the market for goods and services.

The essence of the commercial activity of a trading enterprise or organization is to study the demand of the population and the market for the sale of goods, identify and study sources of income and suppliers of goods, organize rational economic relations with suppliers, including the development and submission of applications and orders for goods to them, the conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods, organization of accounting and control over the fulfillment of contractual obligations by suppliers.

The subject of commerce is the sale and purchase of goods in the sphere of commodity circulation, taking into account the satisfaction of consumer requests, their receipt in the ownership of a trading enterprise for subsequent sale.

It should be noted that all commercial activities are inextricably linked with the market and with buyers in this market. And any operation, any aspect of commercial activity must be consistent with market conditions and must be focused on the buyer, because if there is no buyer, there is no commercial activity itself.

2 The nature and content of the processes carried out in the trading activities of the online store

By the nature of the functions performed, the processes performed in trading activities can be divided into two types:

· commercial (or purely trade);

production (or technological).

Commercial (trading) processes are the processes associated with the purchase and sale of goods. They imply organizational and economic processes directly related to the sale and purchase of goods, as well as processes that ensure the continuity of the sale and purchase processes (studying needs, searching for suppliers, negotiating, concluding sales contracts, advertising, etc.)

The main commercial processes in trade can be divided into the following types:

study and forecasting of consumer demand, study and identification of the needs of the population in goods and services;

Identification and study of sources of income and suppliers of goods;

organization of rational economic relations with suppliers of goods, including the conclusion of agreements (contracts) for the supply of goods, the development and submission of applications and orders for goods, the organization of accounting and control over the fulfillment of contractual obligations, various forms of commercial settlements, etc.;

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General characteristics of the activities of Altoir LLC
The main goal of an enterprise in a market economy is to make a profit in the production and distribution of goods and services. The achievement of this goal depends on the economic need or availability of these goods and services; working conditions of all employees at the enterprise and, accordingly, the desire to work at this enterprise; efficient use of the total...

Content 1. The concept of commercial activity 2. The essence and content of the CA 3. The objectives of the CA 4. The basic principles of building the management of the commercial activities of a trading enterprise 5. Factors affecting the development of the CA

1. The concept of commercial activity Any activity, including commercial activity, has a certain focus and is organized to achieve the set goals, which can be called the goals of functioning. Being an attribute of the market, commerce is formed on its principles, which serve as an indispensable condition for its development. The market acts as a system of economic relations between sellers and buyers, the basis of which is the purchase and sale of goods, i.e., commercial activity. Its goal is to increase income in trade, subject to the satisfaction of customer demand. In the domestic economic literature, there are various definitions of commercial activity. Here are the most common ones: 1. commerce - “bargaining, trade turnover, merchant crafts” (according to the definition from the Explanatory Dictionary of V.I. Dahl); 2. commercial activity - commodity-money exchange, in the process of which goods from the supplier become the property of a trading enterprise with a focus on the needs of market demand;

3. commercial activity - a special type of activity associated with the sale of goods, on which the final results of a commercial enterprise depend; 4. commercial activity is everything that ensures the maximum profitability of a trade transaction for each of the partners, while taking into account the interests and needs of consumers as a priority; 5. commercial activity - a set of operations that ensure the sale and purchase of goods and, together with trading processes, constitute trade in the broadest sense of the word; 6. commercial activity - operational organizational activity for the implementation of operations for the exchange of inventory items in order to meet the needs of the population and make a profit.

So, commercial activity is a part of entrepreneurial activity in the commodity market and differs from it by and large only in that it does not cover the very process of manufacturing a product or providing a service. The professional activity of a merchant is carried out in the sphere of production and commodity circulation and is aimed at ensuring the functioning of enterprises of all organizational and legal forms in order to rationally organize commercial activities, taking into account the industry, regional and nomenclature specifics of the enterprise. The merchant must, on the basis of professional knowledge, ensure efficient commercial activity and thereby contribute to the solution of an important socio-economic task - the satisfaction of the needs of buyers. The objects of professional activity of a merchant are tangible goods and intangible goods and services subject to sale or exchange in the sphere of circulation.

2. The essence and content of the CD. In modern conditions, when the role of commercial activity of trading enterprises is increasing, a more complete disclosure of its essence and content is required. The essence of the problem under consideration is formulated as follows: the commercial activities of trade organizations and enterprises cover the issues of studying the demand of the population and the market for goods, identifying and studying sources of income and suppliers of goods, organizing rational economic relations with suppliers, including the development and submission of applications and orders for goods, conclusion of contracts for the supply of goods, organization of accounting and control over the fulfillment of contractual obligations by suppliers. At the same time, the authors single out commercial work in trade separately and characterize it as follows: “Commercial work is a vast area of ​​operational and organizational activities of trade organizations and enterprises aimed at completing the processes of buying and selling goods to meet the demand of the population and make a profit” . This approach specifies and predetermines the direction of the functions of commercial activities related to the purchase, promotion of goods from the supplier to the consumer and their sale to the final buyer. There is a broader interpretation of the essence of commercial activity - it is not only directly trading, but also other types of entrepreneurial activity.

In modern conditions, the activity of a trading enterprise is associated with entrepreneurship, commerce, econometrics, economic cybernetics and informatics. This determines a new qualitative level and economic growth of the market. The organizational structure of the management of a commercial enterprise should be built accordingly. Commercial activities of trading enterprises have much in common. However, specific management solutions developed and implemented by some trading enterprises cannot always be used by other enterprises. This is due to environmental factors at the stage of transition to a market economy, primarily changes in the consumer market. In addition, the internal conditions for the functioning of a trading enterprise also change over time. Therefore, the management process must be determined by the environmental parameters and their variables within the trade enterprise.

3. Goals of the CD. Commercial activity is associated with the implementation of a set of measures to bring goods from the manufacturer to the buyer. The goals of commercial activity determine its content: 1. establishment of economic and partnership relations with market entities; 2. study and analysis of sources for the purchase of goods; 3. coordination of the connection between production and consumption of goods oriented to the demand of buyers (range, volume and renewal of products); 4. purchase and sale of goods taking into account the market environment; 5. Expansion of existing and prospective development of target markets 6. for goods; 7. reduction of costs of circulation of goods.

Commercial activity is always associated with the performance of operations to bring material resources from suppliers to consumers. Such operations include: 1. for manufacturers - preparation of products for shipment, shipment, release and its documentation; 2. in the warehouses of intermediary and transport enterprises in the process of product movement - its acceptance, storage, formation of complete batches, shipment; 3. in the warehouses of consumer enterprises - acceptance of products in terms of quantity and quality, storage, bringing purchased materials to a high degree of technological readiness for production consumption, issue and delivery of materials to workplaces.

4. Basic principles of building management of commercial activities of a trading enterprise 1. Ensuring consistency between departments (services). Each division (service) of a commercial enterprise has a specific purpose and functions, i.e., they have autonomy to one degree or another. At the same time, their actions must be coordinated and coordinated in time, which determines the unity of the management system of a trade enterprise. 2. Ensuring the interaction between commercial activities and the goals of the commercial enterprise. Commercial activity is formed and changed in accordance with the interests and needs of production. Consequently, the functions of commerce management are implemented taking into account the goals of the trading enterprise. 3. Ensuring the hierarchy of the management structure. A characteristic feature of management is the hierarchical rank. The organization of business management should be focused on vertical and horizontal communications.

4. Ensuring an integrated approach to management. From the position of complexity, all factors influencing the management decisions of commercial activities are taken into account. It also provides for the connection of the commercial processes of a trading enterprise with the subjects of the external environment. Ensuring low links in the management structure. Low-link is understood as a simple management structure. But at the same time, stability and reliability of business management must be achieved. 5. Ensuring the adaptability of the management structure. The internal and external environment is subject to constant changes. This is especially evident in the period of the emergence of the consumer market. Therefore, the flexibility and adaptability of the business management structure to changes and environmental conditions is essential. 6. Providing executive information. The development and adoption of managerial decisions are based on executive information. It includes the receipt of initial information, processing, analysis and issuance of the results of the control action. . This task is carried out with the help of modern technical means that allow you to automate the process of information support.

5. Factors influencing the development of CA For the formation and development of commercial activities, certain conditions and specification of the influencing factors are necessary. Commercial positions are formed under the influence of the external and internal environment. The basis of the external environment within the activities of a trading enterprise is: economic trends, social environment, buyers and suppliers of goods, competitors, partnerships, banks, financial institutions, control and inspection authorities (tax services, inspections for trade and quality of goods, prices), commodity and stock exchanges, fairs, exhibitions, current laws and regulations. The internal environment of a commercial enterprise is represented by: production, technical, economic, financial and human resources, functional services, inventory items, trade and technological processes, warehousing, information and computer support.

Tools for analyzing factors affecting the development of an enterprise When analyzing factors affecting the development of an enterprise, the following tools are used: - SWOT analysis, - PEST analysis, - analysis matrix of external strategic factors, - matrix for determining priority external factors, - map of strategic groups, - list of competition analysis, - profile matrix of competitors.

SWOT analysis is used to compare the data of the analysis of the internal and external environment of the organization and bring them together, which allows you to get a general picture of reality. PEST analysis is a tool designed to identify political (Policy), economic (Economy), social (Society) and technological (Technology) aspects of the external environment that may affect the company's strategy. The external strategic factors analysis matrix is ​​designed to identify and plan the influence of external social forces on the immediate environment of the company. The strategic group map is used in the analysis of the competitive environment to identify competitors with similar strategies. The main task of the competitor analysis sheet is to determine the influence of political, economic, social and technical parameters on the risk of new firms entering the market, on the bargaining power of the firm's suppliers, on the bargaining power of the firm's customers, on the danger of the emergence of substitute products, and on the intensity of competition between firms. The profile matrix of competitors determines the main competitors of the analyzed company, their strengths and weaknesses in relation to it.

References 1. Panktratov FG, Seregina TK Commercial activity: Textbook for universities. - M .: Information and Innovation Center "Marketing", 2000 2. Polovtseva F. P. Commercial activity: Textbook. - M. : INFRA-M - M, 2001. - 248 p. 3. Lapusta M. G. Entrepreneurship account. allowance M.: “Infra. M ”, 2002. 4. Osipova L. V., Sinyaeva I. M. Fundamentals of commercial activity M.: Unity, 1997. 5. Polovtseva F. P. Commercial activity. Textbook. M.: "Infra-M", 2000. 6. Pankratov F. P., Seregina T. K. Commercial activity. Textbook. M.: ITC "Marketing", 2000

Commercial activity in trade is a set of sequentially performed trade and organizational operations that are carried out in the process of buying and selling goods and providing trade services for the purpose of making a profit.

Act as subjects commercial activity, i.e., it can be carried out by both trade organizations and enterprises, and individual entrepreneurs. As objects such activities should be considered goods and services.

Carrying out commercial activities, its subjects must:

• strictly observe the current legislation;
• improve customer service culture;
• make effective commercial decisions to maximize profits.

Compliance with these principles will contribute to the successful fulfillment of the tasks facing commercial services, the main of which are:

• increasing the level of work on the study of market conditions on the basis of marketing research;
• timely decision-making in accordance with the current market situation;
• formation of mutually beneficial relations with partners;
• strengthening the role of contracts and strengthening contractual discipline;
• establishment of long-term economic relations with suppliers;
• increase in the efficiency of commercial activities due to the automation of individual operations.

The success of the commercial activities of trade organizations and enterprises will largely depend on the level of qualification of commercial workers, the state of the material and technical base of trade enterprises, the range of goods sold and the list of services provided, the level of competition in the market and other factors.

Commercial activity can be divided into several stages. These stages are:

• study of demand and determination of needs for goods;
• identification of suppliers of goods and establishment of economic relations with them;
• commercial activities for the wholesale of goods;
• commercial activities for the retail sale of goods;
• assortment formation and inventory management;
• advertising and information activities;
• provision of trading services.

At each of the listed stages, certain commercial operations are performed. At the same time, it should be borne in mind that the content of operations may differ depending on at what stage of the product distribution process they are carried out.

Thus, the nature and content of the operations performed in the implementation of commercial activities will depend on the chosen form of product promotion and the stage of the product distribution process at which this product is located. A more detailed description of the main elements of commercial activity is given below.

Effective commercial work is possible only if there is a complete and reliable market information, i.e., socio-economic, trade organization and other conditions for the sale of goods that have developed in a certain period of time and in a particular place. To obtain such information, it is necessary to collect information about both the product itself and its manufacturers.

It is also important to have information about the social, economic, demographic and other factors that determine the demand for goods, and about the purchasing power of the population. Along with this, it is necessary to have reliable information about the capabilities of prospective competitors, which will allow you to make the right commercial decisions and occupy your own niche in the market.

The information obtained makes it possible to determine the possible volume of sales of goods on the market, to justify the range of necessary goods, that is, to calculate the need for them.

In addition, information about the state of the market contributes establishment of rational economic relations. To do this, it is necessary to study potential suppliers and choose those that will be the most profitable in the current conditions. At the same time, attention should be paid to the location of suppliers, the range and quality of the goods they offer, terms of delivery, prices, etc.

At this stage of business contracts are concluded with suppliers of goods. It is very important to agree on all the terms of the future agreement: a well-drafted agreement will allow not only to take into account the interests of partners, but also to avoid future disagreements associated with insufficient elaboration of its individual provisions.

Once signed, the contract becomes binding on the parties. Therefore, trade enterprises and organizations must carry out a constant and effective control over the fulfillment of the terms of the contract.

Following operations for the wholesale purchase of goods, a number of technological operations are performed related to the receipt of goods, unloading vehicles, acceptance of goods in terms of quantity and quality, their storage, packaging, etc. The listed operations are performed both in the wholesale and retail sectors trade. Along with the technological ones, commercial operations continue in these links.

Commercial activities in enterprises wholesale trade as the following steps includes:

• product range management;
• inventory management;
• advertising and information work;
• commercial activities for the wholesale of goods;
• provision of services to wholesale buyers.

Product range management associated with the formation of such an assortment that would best meet the demand of wholesale buyers. Taking into account their requirements, it is necessary to constantly update the range of goods in warehouses. To solve this problem, the commercial services of wholesale trade enterprises should actively participate in the formation of the assortment policy of commodity producers.

Inventory management in wholesale trade lies in their rationing, operational accounting and control over their condition. To form commodity stocks, first of all, should be based on the demand for goods. Maintaining inventory at the proper level contributes to the uninterrupted supply of goods to wholesale buyers and speeds up the turnover of goods, reducing the cost of their storage.

At the stage of wholesale of goods, an important role is played by advertising work. A well-organized, based on reliable information and timely advertising campaign contributes to an increase in demand for certain goods and has a positive effect on their sale.

One of the key stages of commercial activity is wholesale of goods. At this stage, there is a search for buyers of goods, which, as a rule, are shops, small retail trade enterprises, etc. Then work follows to agree on the conditions and conclude an agreement, in accordance with which the sale of goods will be carried out. The effective operation of a wholesale enterprise at this stage is impossible without the organization of control over the fulfillment of the terms of the contract.

An important place in the commercial activities of the wholesale link is occupied by service operations. Wholesale trade enterprises offer their partners services that are impossible or difficult to perform in retail trade. For example, they can be intermediary (search for suppliers of goods), advertising (carrying out advertising campaigns in a retail trade network, exhibitions and sales with the participation of commodity producers, etc.), informational (collection and analysis of information about market conditions, marketing research, etc.). .), advisory (acquaintance of employees of retail enterprises with new products, rules for their operation, etc.) and other services.

The role of trading services is especially great in the presence of competition: wholesale buyers are interested in contacting the seller who, along with quality goods, is able to offer a set of services that best meets their requirements.

As already noted, commercial transactions in enterprises retail have their own specifics. First of all, this is due to the fact that the consumer of goods and services here is the population.

It is the requirements and demands of the population that become decisive in the formation of the assortment at retail enterprises. Of the services that a trading enterprise can provide, only buyers in demand are selected. The interests of buyers are also taken into account when choosing methods for selling goods.

It should be noted that, carrying out commercial activities, retailers can, to a certain extent, shape the needs of the population. To this end, new products are offered to customers and those that meet the approval of consumers are included in the assortment of the retailer.

When managing inventories, they proceed primarily from the fact that they are stored in retail trade enterprises in much smaller volumes and for shorter periods.

The advertising work carried out in the retail trade network also has its own characteristics, primarily related to the choice of types and means of advertising.

INTRODUCTION

Trade in the conditions of market relations operates within the framework of a large-scale, rapidly changing external environment. The whole range of complex positive and negative processes, contradictory trends taking place in the economic and social life of both the country and the regions is also reflected in trade.

The commercial activity of a trading enterprise, in these conditions, is becoming increasingly important. Efficient commercial activity ensures the sustainable development of a commercial enterprise, its competitiveness.

Commercial banks belong to a special category of business enterprises called financial intermediaries. They attract capital, savings of the population and other funds released in the course of economic activity, and provide them for temporary use to other economic agents that need additional capital. Banks create new claims and obligations that become commodities in the money market.

OJSC "Alfa-Bank" is one of the leading commercial banks in our country, which provides a wide range of services for both individuals and legal entities. On the basis of this bank, one can trace the features of commercial activities in the banking sector.

The purpose of this work is to study commercial activities in the banking sector.

To achieve this goal, the following tasks are solved:

The role of banks in commercial activities

Analysis of the main indicators of Alfa-Bank OJSC

· Analysis of the services provided by OJSC "Alfa-Bank".

COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY

The concept and essence of commercial activity

Commercial activity is a part of entrepreneurial activity in the commodity market and differs from it by and large only in that it does not cover the process of manufacturing a product or providing a service. In a broad sense, any organization that offers the products of the labor of its employees to the market, and, therefore, participates in the exchange process, can be classified as a sale entity. It is important to take into account that if this entity assumes the receipt of income from the sale (marketing) of goods or the provision of services that exceed the cost of their creation, then its activity is usually classified as commercial. Similarly, an idea is formed about the activity of acquiring raw materials, materials and products for the production of goods and the provision of services.

The entrepreneur always seeks to acquire resources and use services in accordance with his own commercial interests. The task that the market puts before him comes down to the need to create a quality product and sell it profitably. Therefore, logistics (purchases, etc.), as one of the main conditions for the creation of goods, should be fully attributed to commercial activity and considered as its most important element.

The interpretation of the term "commercial" is primarily of practical importance, since the organization of the work of commercial services involves taking into account many specific features, from economic fundamentals to the structure of workflow. Professional training of commercial workers is carried out in a special way. In addition to traditional knowledge in the field of economics and management, a merchant must have a number of specific skills in the field of business communication and negotiations, be able to make non-standard decisions to identify highly profitable areas of labor application.

The professional activity of a merchant is carried out in the sphere of production and commodity circulation and is aimed at ensuring the functioning of enterprises of all organizational and legal forms in order to rationally organize commercial activities, taking into account the industry, regional and nomenclature specifics of the enterprise. The merchant must, on the basis of professional knowledge, ensure effective commercial activity and thereby contribute to the solution of an important socio-economic task - the satisfaction of the needs of buyers.

The objects of professional activity of a merchant are tangible goods and intangible goods and services subject to purchase and sale or exchange in the sphere of circulation.

The main types of professional activities of a merchant:

organizational and commercial;

commodity-expert;

marketing;

· trade and economic;

analytical;

· trade and purchasing;

foreign trade.

For science, it is very important to correctly define the essence of commercial activity. Many problems associated with the study of economic patterns in the sphere of production and commodity circulation are still awaiting their solution. Among them, the most relevant are:

· a system of criteria and methods for evaluating the results of the work of the commercial service of the enterprise;

· system of payment and economic incentives for employees of commercial services.

A significant problem is the clear definition of the boundaries of commercial activities for tax purposes. So, in accordance with the legislation of the Russian Federation, the main criterion for classifying a particular type of activity as a certain category of taxation is the existence of a statutory goal for the enterprise or organization to make a profit. At the same time, the form of ownership and organizational and legal form of a business entity does not play a role. From the standpoint of taxation, it is only important to clearly establish the belonging of a commercial enterprise to a specific type and field of activity: the production and sale of any products (materials or raw materials), the provision of production or non-production services, trade and intermediary operations, etc. Income tax rates in different cases differ from each other in size.

All enterprises, organizations and institutions operating in the commodity market can be conditionally divided into two main groups: commercial and non-commercial. Commercial enterprises include almost all enterprises in the sphere of material production (factories, factories), a significant part of enterprises in the production infrastructure (transport and trade and intermediary enterprises, communications enterprises, etc.) and non-production spheres (household services, entertainment industry, etc.) , almost all subjects of the securities market.

Non-profit activity has traditionally been concentrated in health care and education, although in recent years there have been sprouts of entrepreneurship. The activity of any non-profit ("non-profitable" - in Western economic literature) entity is based on the principle of maintaining a balance of equality of income and expenses. The tax legislation of Russia clearly defines the directions in which expenses included in the cost can be incurred. In addition, the sources of income generation for a non-profit organization are strictly defined. In the event of a profit, this organization must use it in strict accordance with the requirements of the law or perform a special settlement procedure in the state budget by revising the amount of funding or paying the appropriate taxes. Non-profit organizations also include government agencies (federal and municipal).

The subject of commercial activity is the sale and purchase of goods. However, in the broadest sense of the word, not only produced material objects, but also services, and even objects of intellectual property should be considered as goods. A product as an object of commercial transactions (purchase and sale transactions) has potential and real utility.

The potential utility of a product (service, etc.) or the ability of any product of labor to satisfy individual specific needs, taking into account affordability, is determined by its two integral characteristics: quality and price. The ratio between them, which has developed in a particular market situation, makes it possible for a potential consumer to decide the fundamental question - is this proposed product needed and available to him?

The real utility of a product appears at the moment of its acquisition by the consumer (sales by the seller), i.e. as a result of the exchange.

The prerequisites for a potentially useful product to become really useful for the buyer are:

the presence of a given product of potential utility, the correspondence of its consumer properties to existing requests, i.e. the presence of an internal factor influencing the preliminary choice of the buyer;

The presence of a seller of a sufficient amount of potentially useful goods in the right place and at the right time or external conditions for the implementation of the choice.

Creating conditions for the realization of the potential usefulness of the product is the most important task of commercial activity. It is for these purposes that the corresponding sales services are formed, inventories are accumulated, trading and intermediary firms are created.

The main varieties of commercial activity fully reflect its essence. Firstly, we are talking about supplying the enterprise with the necessary raw materials, materials and products. The work associated with their procurement includes the following main operations:

planning of material needs;

organization of the acquisition of resources and their delivery to the enterprise;

regulation of the size of inventories;

organization and control of resource consumption in the enterprise must be carried out by special units.

In typical situations, they (subdivisions) are assigned the following names:

department of material and technical supply (providing); department of production (industrial-technical and production-technological equipment);

· service of acquisition by the equipment of objects under construction.

In modern conditions, when new terms and concepts are included in the professional lexicon of a merchant, this role can be played by departments for material resource management and logistics. The procurement service of an enterprise is usually also involved in obtaining the necessary commercial information.

It is necessary to highlight the sale of finished products (services). The sales function is performed by a special service of the enterprise, which organizes the formation of shipment lots, promotes goods on the market, searches for and formalizes relations with buyers (clients). In modern conditions, the success of this activity to a large extent depends on the professionalism of the sales staff, and therefore marketing becomes the main technology of the sales service.

Trade and intermediary operations in the consumer and industrial (business) markets should be singled out as a separate category, meaning, first of all, wholesale and retail trade. The participation of an intermediary in the process of goods distribution is in many cases a necessary condition for concluding a sale and purchase transaction, as it provides consumers with wider access to the product. Moreover, in the consumer market, the buyer, almost always, can purchase goods only through an intermediary (retailer), since manufacturers almost never work with individuals.

Commercial activity is always associated with the performance of operations to bring material resources from suppliers to consumers. These operations include:

· for manufacturers - preparation of products for shipment, shipment, vacation and its documentation;

· in the warehouses of intermediary and transport enterprises in the process of product movement - its acceptance, storage, formation of complete batches, shipment;

· in the warehouses of consumer enterprises - acceptance of products in terms of quantity and quality, storage, bringing the purchased materials to a high degree of technological readiness for production consumption, issue and delivery of materials to workplaces.

In general, all these operations, depending on the specific situation, can be conditionally divided into two categories - marketing and supply. Sales operations and processes are related to the production and delivery of products. The production process ends with the sale of products. Supply operations are associated with the production consumption of material resources, obtaining material resources and providing them to enterprises in the production and non-production sectors.