Estimated Gross Margin as a Percentage of Sales by Kinds of Business: 1993 Through 2004 [Estimates are shown as percents and are based on data from the Annual Retail Trade Survey and administrative records. Estimates have been adjusted using results of the 2002 Economic Census.] NAICS Code Kind Of Business 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 Retail gross margin, total 27.9 28.1 28.0 27.7 27.6 27.8 28.0 27.7 26.7 28.0 28.6 29.0 Total (excl. Motor vehicle and parts dealers) 30.3 30.5 30.5 30.5 30.5 31.1 31.0 30.8 30.4 30.8 31.4 31.7 GAFO1 33.8 33.3 32.6 32.4 32.7 33.3 33.5 33.4 31.9 32.2 33.3 34.1 441 Motor vehicle and parts dealers 20.5 21.1 21.0 20.1 19.6 18.6 19.8 19.0 16.4 20.2 20.4 21.0 4411 Automotive Dealers 18.4 19.1 19.1 17.9 17.3 16.3 17.6 17.0 14.1 18.4 18.6 18.6 4413 Automotive parts, acc. and tire stores 37.7 38.4 37.2 38.1 37.4 36.9 38.9 36.1 36.8 38.2 38.5 40.8 442 Furniture and home furnishing stores 42.2 42.9 41.9 42.3 42.5 43.2 43.8 44.1 43.3 44.2 44.4 45.6 443 Electronics and appliance stores 28.8 28.4 26.2 24.6 24.9 25.5 26.4 27.7 26.6 28.2 29.1 29.7 444 Building mat., garden equip., & supply stores 28.3 28.6 28.0 27.8 26.9 28.0 27.8 29.4 29.6 29.7 30.5 31.5 4441 Building mat. and supply dealers 28.1 28.4 27.6 27.8 26.9 27.9 27.8 29.6 30.0 30.1 31.0 32.1 445 Food and beverage stores 24.9 25.2 26.0 26.1 26.0 26.7 27.4 27.0 28.4 28.6 28.8 29.1 4451 Grocery stores 24.4 24.5 25.3 25.4 25.4 26.0 26.9 26.5 28.1 28.3 28.5 28.7 4453 Beer, wine, and liquor stores 24.3 26.7 27.4 28.0 26.6 28.6 27.0 26.6 25.8 25.5 26.3 27.4 446 Health and personal care stores 30.7 30.6 29.9 30.6 31.5 31.3 29.9 29.9 29.6 29.6 30.0 30.7 44611 Pharmacies and drug stores 26.5 26.1 25.1 25.7 26.7 26.6 25.5 25.3 25.5 25.5 25.8 25.4 447 Gasoline stations 20.8 21.5 22.8 22.5 22.1 22.1 21.6 19.7 19.6 18.9 19.6 19.2 448 Clothing and access. stores 41.0 41.6 40.3 41.1 41.4 42.4 42.8 42.8 41.5 43.2 44.7 45.6 4481 Clothing stores 38.9 39.8 38.5 39.8 40.8 42.0 42.1 42.5 41.1 42.3 44.5 45.3 44811 Mens' clothing stores 42.3 44.5 41.9 43.8 44.0 44.2 43.2 44.5 43.4 44.8 49.6 50.4 44812 Women's clothing stores 36.9 36.9 37.1 39.0 39.3 40.5 41.3 43.4 43.3 44.7 48.4 49.0 44814 Family clothing stores 38.7 39.7 37.0 38.2 39.8 41.3 41.2 41.0 38.5 40.1 40.8 41.8 4482 Shoe stores 42.9 43.5 42.9 42.3 41.6 41.9 42.2 40.4 39.9 42.6 43.9 45.0 451 Sporting goods, hobby, book, & music stores 38.1 39.2 37.3 35.7 37.7 37.3 37.9 38.0 37.6 37.0 37.6 38.8 452 General merchandise stores 27.9 26.6 26.7 26.5 26.6 27.2 27.2 26.5 25.1 24.5 26.0 26.7 4521 Department stores (ex. L.D.) 29.5 27.5 27.7 27.3 27.5 30.8 31.3 31.1 30.1 29.1 29.8 32.4 452112 Discount dept. stores 22.5 20.2 21.0 19.7 20.9 27.0 27.3 27.2 27.0 24.9 26.7 30.1 4529 Other general merchandise stores 24.1 24.4 24.7 24.9 24.8 20.9 20.9 20.4 19.3 20.0 22.9 22.3 45291 Warehouse clubs and superstores 17.1 19.6 19.1 20.7 21.1 16.6 17.0 16.8 16.1 17.6 20.3 19.9 45299 All other gen. merchandise stores 34.5 34.1 36.9 35.1 34.9 35.5 35.8 35.6 35.0 33.3 37.3 36.8 453 Miscellaneous store retailers 44.5 43.7 43.8 43.2 43.2 43.0 41.5 42.0 40.7 42.8 43.4 43.6 454 Nonstore retailers 44.6 45.9 45.6 45.3 44.3 44.0 42.2 41.4 40.9 43.1 43.0 41.8 4541 Electronic shopping and mail order 44.7 44.6 43.7 44.0 42.7 40.9 39.1 38.9 38.0 39.8 40.5 39.7 (1) GAFO represents stores classified in the following NAICS codes: 442, 443, 448, 451, 452, and 4532. Naics code 4532 includes office supplies, stationery, and gift stores. Note: Estimates are derived from the gross margins estimates and the sales estimates. Retail total and other subsector totals may include data for kinds of business not shown. Table A-2 provides estimated measures of sampling variability. The introduction and appendixes give information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions. Links to this information on the Internet may be found at www.census.gov/mrts/www/nrely.html.