Industry Statistics Sampler
NAICS 44-45
Retail trade

Definition: NAICS 44-45   Retail trade

The Retail Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in retailing merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise.

The retailing process is the final step in the distribution of merchandise; retailers are, therefore, organized to sell merchandise in small quantities to the general public. This sector comprises two main types of retailers: store and nonstore retailers.

1. Store retailers operate fixed point-of-sale locations, located and designed to attract a high volume of walk-in customers. In general, retail stores have extensive displays of merchandise and use mass-media advertising to attract customers. They typically sell merchandise to the general public for personal or household consumption, but some also serve business and institutional clients. These include establishments, such as office supply stores, computer and software stores, building materials dealers, plumbing supply stores, and electrical supply stores. Catalog showrooms, gasoline services stations, automotive dealers, and mobile home dealers are treated as store retailers.

In addition to retailing merchandise, some types of store retailers are also engaged in the provision of after-sales services, such as repair and installation. For example, new automobile dealers, electronic and appliance stores, and musical instrument and supply stores often provide repair services. As a general rule, establishments engaged in retailing merchandise and providing after-sales services are classified in this sector.

The first eleven subsectors of retail trade are store retailers. The establishments are grouped into industries and industry groups typically based on one or more of the following criteria:

(a) The merchandise line or lines carried by the store; for example, specialty stores are distinguished from general-line stores.

(b) The usual trade designation of the establishments. This criterion applies in cases where a store type is well recognized by the industry and the public, but difficult to define strictly in terms of commodity lines carried; for example, pharmacies, hardware stores, and department stores.

(c) Capital requirements in terms of display equipment; for example, food stores have equipment requirements not found in other retail industries.

(d) Human resource requirements in terms of expertise; for example, the staff of an automobile dealer requires knowledge in financing, registering, and licensing issues that are not necessary in other retail industries.

2. Nonstore retailers, like store retailers, are organized to serve the general public, but their retailing methods differ. The establishments of this subsector reach customers and market merchandise with methods, such as the broadcasting of "infomercials," the broadcasting and publishing of direct-response advertising, the publishing of paper and electronic catalogs, door-to-door solicitation, in-home demonstration, selling from portable stalls (street vendors, except food), and distribution through vending machines. Establishments engaged in the direct sale (nonstore) of products, such as home heating oil dealers and home delivery newspaper routes are included here.

The buying of goods for resale is a characteristic of retail trade establishments that particularly distinguishes them from establishments in the agriculture, manufacturing, and construction industries. For example, farms that sell their products at or from the point of production are not classified in retail, but rather in agriculture. Similarly, establishments that both manufacture and sell their products to the general public are not classified in retail, but rather in manufacturing. However, establishments that engage in processing activities incidental to retailing are classified in retail. This includes establishments, such as optical goods stores that do in-store grinding of lenses, and meat and seafood markets.

Historical comparability

Products Lines for Retail trade

Product code	Product description	Sales of this line ($000)	Percent of industry sales (%)	Graph
20000	Industry total	3,056,421,	100.00
20700	Automobiles, cars, vans, trucks, motorcycles, motor scooters, etc	610,830,10	19.99
20100	Groceries & other foods for human consumption off the premises	436,690,41	14.29
20160	Drugs, health aids, beauty aids, including cosmetics	264,492,01	8.65
20720	Automotive fuels	177,340,03	5.80
	-Other	1,567,069,	51.27

For more product detail, see the AFF links below for Product Lines

Products, Size, and Other Data from the Economic Census -- Retail trade

Link to pdf	Series number	Title	Link to AFF or Drill-down tables	Contents	Geography
	EC02-00C-BDG	Bridge Between NAICS 2002 and NAICS 1997		Relationships between NAICS 1997 and NAICS 2002 for those industries redefined	US
	EC02-00C-COMP	Comparative Statistics		2002 and 1997 data side by side on a comparable NAICS 1997 basis	US, states
	EC02-44SL-LS	Product Lines		Product Lines by Kind of Business	US, states, metros
	Kinds of Business by Broad Product Line	US, states, metros
	EC02-44SS-SZ	Establishment and Firm Size		Sales Size of Establishments	US
	Employment Size of Establishments	US
	Single Unit & Multiunit Firms	US
	Sales Size of Firms	US
	Employment Size of Firms	US
	Concentration by Largest Firms	US
	Legal Form of Organization	US
	EC02-44SX-SB	Miscellaneous Subjects		Sales by Class of Customer	US
	BE02-00I-1	Business Expenses		Sales & Operating Expenses by Kind of Business (2002 NAICS Basis)	US
	Relative Standard Errors for Sales & Operating Expenses by Kind of Business (2002 NAICS Basis)	US
	EC02-44A	Geographic Area Series		Summary Statistics	US, states, counties, metros
	SB02-00A	Survey of Business Owners		Business Ownership by Gender, Hispanic or Latino Origin, and Race	US

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