NACE 47.7 – Retail Sale of Other Goods in Specialised Stores | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 47.7 covers the in-store retail sale of clothing, footwear, leather goods, pharmaceuticals, medical articles, watches, jewellery, optical goods and other goods. In public procurement, this group is particularly relevant for the procurement of protective clothing, pharmaceuticals and medical devices for public authorities and institutions.

Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026

What does NACE 47.7 cover?

NACE 47.7 (Retail sale of other goods in specialised stores) is a heterogeneous group that, alongside classic clothing retail, also covers highly regulated areas such as pharmaceuticals and medical devices — with considerable significance for public procurement in the health sector.

Group 47.7 within Section G (Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles) and Division 47 (Retail trade) is broken down into the following classes:

Public contracting authorities under NACE 47.7 are primarily hospitals and healthcare facilities, police and public order authorities, fire services, armed forces, care facilities and local authorities procuring equipment for their staff.

Public Tenders: Activities under NACE 47.7

Clothing and personal protective equipment for security authorities, as well as pharmaceuticals and medical devices for the public health sector, are among the highest-volume procurement segments — with strict quality and regulatory requirements.

Typical types of contract

• Service dress and uniforms: Procurement of service uniforms for police, fire services, customs, municipal public order services and security services of public institutions
• Personal protective equipment (PPE): Protective helmets, vests, gloves, footwear and respiratory protection for public authorities and emergency services
• Workwear and professional clothing: Smocks, scrubs and professional clothing for staff in hospitals, care homes and technical operations
• Pharmaceuticals for public pharmacies and hospitals: Framework agreements for the supply of medicines in hospital pharmacies and public pharmacies of municipal providers
• Medical aids and orthopaedics: Wheelchairs, walking aids, orthoses for public rehabilitation facilities
• Cosmetics and hygiene articles: Soap, disinfectants and hygiene articles for public institutions (particularly heavily tendered during and after pandemic phases)

Thresholds and procedure types

Larger contracts for service dress and PPE, as well as framework agreements for pharmaceuticals, frequently exceed the EU threshold for supply contracts (EUR 221,000 for central government authorities, as of 2024/2025). Such contracts are tendered EU-wide on TED through the open procedure. For pharmaceuticals, additional pharmaceutical authorisation requirements apply.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 47.7

Research into NACE 47.7 relevant procurements is carried out via CPV codes, which cover the full spectrum from clothing through pharmaceuticals to medical devices.

Current tenders with these CPV codes can be found on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) as well as on national procurement platforms.

For whom is NACE 47.7 relevant in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

Police and security authorities are major buyers of service dress and PPE — in Germany and Austria, these contracts are often awarded centrally at federal level (federal police, armed forces) or by regional interior ministries. Hospitals and healthcare facilities in public ownership procure pharmaceuticals through hospital pharmacies or central purchasing groups. Fire services regularly need protective clothing and respiratory protection. Care facilities under municipal or church sponsorship with public funding are also subject to public procurement law.

Companies and bidders

Retailers and manufacturers in the NACE 47.7 segment must provide specific evidence for public tenders:

• Authorisations and licences: Pharmacy licence (for pharmaceuticals), German Medicines Act (AMG) authorisations, medical device certification under the MDR 2017/745
• Standards compliance: EN standards for PPE (e.g. EN ISO 20471 for high-visibility clothing, EN 469 for firefighter clothing)
• Technical capacity: Reference lists of comparable supply contracts, ISO 9001 quality management system
• Economic capacity: Annual turnover, evidence of delivery capability, warehousing capacity

In the pharmaceuticals area, often only pharmaceutical wholesalers and authorised manufacturers are eligible to participate. For PPE, specialist safety equipment suppliers may also participate.

NACE 47.7 in context: Section G and Division 47

NACE 47.7, as a heterogeneous group, covers particularly regulation-intensive trade areas — from PPE procurement for security authorities to the supply of pharmaceuticals in the public health system.

• NACE G – Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles: Parent section covering all trading activities
• NACE 47 – Retail trade: Division covering all in-store and non-store retail trade
• NACE 47.6 – Retail sale of cultural and recreation goods: Sport, toys and books
• NACE 47.8 – Retail sale via stalls and markets: Market trade and mobile sales points

Frequently asked questions about NACE 47.7 and public tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 47.7?
In-store retailers focused on clothing, footwear, pharmaceuticals, medical devices or personal care articles. These include pharmacies, specialist PPE retailers, uniform manufacturers and retailers, as well as trading businesses specialising in medical devices.

How do I find current tenders for protective clothing and pharmaceuticals?
EU-wide notices are available on TED via CPV search (e.g. 18100000 for protective clothing, 33600000 for pharmaceuticals). For national tenders, central procurement bodies such as Bundesbeschaffung GmbH (BBG) in Austria or the federal procurement office (Beschaffungsamt des BMI) in Germany are recommended.

Do special rules apply to pharmaceutical tenders?
Yes. Special procurement rules apply to prescription medicines — in Germany, statutory health insurance rebate contracts under § 130a SGB V form a separate system alongside classical procurement law. Hospital pharmacies often tender pharmaceuticals through purchasing groups and must take pharmaceutical regulatory requirements into account.

What should be considered in PPE tenders?
PPE must comply with the PPE Regulation (EU) 2016/425 and bear the CE marking. Tender documents typically set out specific EN standards as minimum requirements. Bidders must provide test certificates and type-examination approvals.

Last updated: January 2026
All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.