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CENSUS OF RETAIL TRADE

PURPOSE

To provide periodic and comprehensive statistics about retail establishments and activities. The United States Code, Title 13, requires this census and provides for mandatory responses.

COVERAGE

Domestic establishments that sell merchandise and related services to the public for personal or household consumption. These are all establishments classified in SIC Division G, excluding nonemployers engaged in direct selling (SIC 5963).

CONTENT

Basic data obtained for all establishments include kind of business, geographic location, dollar volume of sales, annual and first quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12. Establishments receiving a census form provide additional data on organizational status, sales by class of customer, sales by merchandise line, method of selling, and industry-specific measures (such as number of prescriptions by drug stores).

FREQUENCY

Data collection begins in December of the census year and responses are due in about 8 weeks. Data are requested for activities taking place during the census calendar year. The census is conducted every 5 years since 1972, for years ending in "2" and "7." From 1929 through 1967, retail trade statistics were published periodically as part of the census of business. Data are requested for activities taking place during the census calendar year.

METHODS

A mail-out/mail-back data collection for establishments of multi-unit companies, large single-unit employers, and a sample of small employers; and administrative records data for non-selected small employers and all nonemployers. All establishments of multi-unit firms and single-unit employers with annualized payroll above a size cutoff (for most industries, equivalent to about 3 employees) receive a census form. A sample of small employers also receives a census form. This sample is selected using a stratified sampling procedure with strata based on industry and geography. Basic data for non- selected small employers and nonemployers are obtained from Federal administrative records. Estimates for sales by merchandise line and other industry-specific data are based partly on small employer sample results.

PRODUCTS

Geographic Area Series reports consist of 52 volumes, one for the U.S., each state, and the District of Columbia. Volumes tabulate data for establishments with payroll by kind of business for the U.S., states, metropolitan areas, counties, and places with 2,500 inhabitants or more.

The ZIP Code Statistics Series summarizes data for retail employers by 5-digit ZIP Code and gives kind-of-business detail for establishments by sales and employment size category. Data are only available on CD-ROMs.

Nonemployer Statistics Series reports include data on the number of establishments and receipts by kind of business, establishments with and without payroll, and number of proprietorships and partnerships. Data and detail vary by geographic area for the U.S., states, and metropolitan areas. Similar data are available only on CD-ROMs for counties and places with 2,500 or more inhabitants.

Subject Series reports consist of 4 volumes presenting tabulations for the U.S. with some additional geographic detail. Titles include: Establishment and Firm Size (Including Legal Form of Organization); Merchandise Line Sales; Measures of Value Produced, Capital Expenditures, Depreciable Assets, and Operating Expenses; and Miscellaneous Subjects.

USES

The Bureau of Economic Analysis uses retail census data to benchmark the national income and product accounts and input-output tables. The Department of Agriculture uses retail food sales data for marketing analysis. The Census Bureau uses retail data in sampling and benchmarking activities for current surveys.

A national trade association uses restaurant data for analysis, marketing, and publicity. A publisher of magazines, sold at retail stores, uses the number of retail stores by ZIP Code to design sales territories.

SPECIAL FEATURES

The only source of detailed industry and geographic data on sales, sales by merchandise line, and key industry-specific measures.

RELATED PROGRAMS

Business Expenditures Survey (formerly Assets and Expenditures Survey)

Annual Retail Trade

Advance Monthly Retail Sales

Monthly Retail Trade

You are here: Economic Programs Overview Retail Census of Retail Trade

Last revised: Tuesday, 02-Aug-2011 18:06:32 EDT