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Size of the US Specialty Food Retailers industry

NAICS 4452, Specialty Food Retailers. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$42.6 billion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Sales
$26.4 billion
2022 · Annual Retail Trade Survey
Employer firms by kind of business, current dollars
Employment
224,780
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
28,448
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
20,180
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$4.5 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Sales · Annual Retail Trade SurveyLatest $26.4 billion · 2022
1992: $9.8 billion1993: $9.9 billion1994: $10.0 billion1995: $10.1 billion1996: $10.4 billion1997: $10.8 billion1998: $11.1 billion1999: $11.1 billion2000: $11.9 billion2001: $12.8 billion2002: $13.1 billion2003: $13.8 billion2004: $14.8 billion2005: $15.0 billion2006: $15.2 billion2007: $15.8 billion2008: $16.0 billion2009: $15.7 billion2010: $15.9 billion2011: $16.8 billion2012: $17.6 billion2013: $17.8 billion2014: $19.0 billion2015: $19.4 billion2016: $20.2 billion2017: $20.3 billion2018: $20.9 billion2019: $21.2 billion2020: $22.1 billion2021: $24.9 billion2022: $26.4 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2022$26.4 billion
2021$24.9 billion
2020$22.1 billion
2019$21.2 billion
2018$20.9 billion
2017$20.3 billion
2016$20.2 billion
2015$19.4 billion
2014$19.0 billion
2013$17.8 billion
2012$17.6 billion
2011$16.8 billion
2010$15.9 billion
2009$15.7 billion
2008$16.0 billion
2007$15.8 billion
2006$15.2 billion
2005$15.0 billion
2004$14.8 billion
2003$13.8 billion
2002$13.1 billion
2001$12.8 billion
2000$11.9 billion
1999$11.1 billion
1998$11.1 billion
1997$10.8 billion
1996$10.4 billion
1995$10.1 billion
1994$10.0 billion
1993$9.9 billion
1992$9.8 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Retail Trade Survey · Employer firms by kind of business, current dollars · Agency label: Specialty food stores

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 224,780 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 213,4682019-Q2: 227,9322019-Q3: 223,8492019-Q4: 232,4262020-Q1: 210,0322020-Q2: 197,5952020-Q3: 205,3032020-Q4: 218,6752021-Q1: 201,8932021-Q2: 219,1782021-Q3: 217,0122021-Q4: 226,9202022-Q1: 226,1192022-Q2: 241,9672022-Q3: 239,7242022-Q4: 246,8572023-Q1: 230,1452023-Q2: 246,0782023-Q3: 243,2202023-Q4: 249,0422024-Q1: 229,6302024-Q2: 245,1532024-Q3: 242,2552024-Q4: 246,4002025-Q1: 226,7692025-Q2: 242,4872025-Q3: 241,3432025-Q4: 244,3922026-Q1: 224,780NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1224,7802022
2025-Q4244,3922022
2025-Q3241,3432022
2025-Q2242,4872022
2025-Q1226,7692022
2024-Q4246,4002022
2024-Q3242,2552022
2024-Q2245,1532022
2024-Q1229,6302022
2023-Q4249,0422022
2023-Q3243,2202022
2023-Q2246,0782022
2023-Q1230,1452022
2022-Q4246,8572022
2022-Q3239,7242022
2022-Q2241,9672022
2022-Q1226,1192022
2021-Q4226,9202017
2021-Q3217,0122017
2021-Q2219,1782017
2021-Q1201,8932017
2020-Q4218,6752017
2020-Q3205,3032017
2020-Q2197,5952017
2020-Q1210,0322017
2019-Q4232,4262017
2019-Q3223,8492017
2019-Q2227,9322017
2019-Q1213,4682017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 166,164 · 2023
2017: 161,3612018: 160,4912019: 162,5642020: 165,3772021: 159,7822022: 164,4332023: 166,164
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023166,164
2022164,433
2021159,782
2020165,377
2019162,564
2018160,491
2017161,361

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 28,448 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 25,6052019-Q2: 25,7652019-Q3: 25,8192019-Q4: 25,8992020-Q1: 25,5362020-Q2: 25,4502020-Q3: 25,5702020-Q4: 25,7682021-Q1: 25,4512021-Q2: 25,7552021-Q3: 25,9512021-Q4: 26,1332022-Q1: 27,8602022-Q2: 28,1732022-Q3: 28,4892022-Q4: 28,6472023-Q1: 28,5532023-Q2: 28,7642023-Q3: 28,9262023-Q4: 29,1072024-Q1: 28,5312024-Q2: 28,8092024-Q3: 28,8442024-Q4: 28,9452025-Q1: 28,4152025-Q2: 28,5252025-Q3: 28,6952025-Q4: 28,7512026-Q1: 28,448NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q128,4482022
2025-Q428,7512022
2025-Q328,6952022
2025-Q228,5252022
2025-Q128,4152022
2024-Q428,9452022
2024-Q328,8442022
2024-Q228,8092022
2024-Q128,5312022
2023-Q429,1072022
2023-Q328,9262022
2023-Q228,7642022
2023-Q128,5532022
2022-Q428,6472022
2022-Q328,4892022
2022-Q228,1732022
2022-Q127,8602022
2021-Q426,1332017
2021-Q325,9512017
2021-Q225,7552017
2021-Q125,4512017
2020-Q425,7682017
2020-Q325,5702017
2020-Q225,4502017
2020-Q125,5362017
2019-Q425,8992017
2019-Q325,8192017
2019-Q225,7652017
2019-Q125,6052017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 23,926 · 2023
2017: 22,3612018: 22,1752019: 22,2642020: 22,1382021: 22,1452022: 23,7932023: 23,926
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202323,926
202223,793
202122,145
202022,138
201922,264
201822,175
201722,361

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $2.1 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $1.4 billion2019-Q2: $1.5 billion2019-Q3: $1.5 billion2019-Q4: $1.6 billion2020-Q1: $1.5 billion2020-Q2: $1.4 billion2020-Q3: $1.5 billion2020-Q4: $1.7 billion2021-Q1: $1.4 billion2021-Q2: $1.6 billion2021-Q3: $1.7 billion2021-Q4: $1.9 billion2022-Q1: $1.8 billion2022-Q2: $1.9 billion2022-Q3: $2.1 billion2022-Q4: $2.2 billion2023-Q1: $2.0 billion2023-Q2: $2.0 billion2023-Q3: $2.1 billion2023-Q4: $2.2 billion2024-Q1: $2.0 billion2024-Q2: $2.1 billion2024-Q3: $2.1 billion2024-Q4: $2.3 billion2025-Q1: $2.0 billion2025-Q2: $2.1 billion2025-Q3: $2.2 billion2025-Q4: $2.3 billion2026-Q1: $2.1 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$2.1 billion2022
2025-Q4$2.3 billion2022
2025-Q3$2.2 billion2022
2025-Q2$2.1 billion2022
2025-Q1$2.0 billion2022
2024-Q4$2.3 billion2022
2024-Q3$2.1 billion2022
2024-Q2$2.1 billion2022
2024-Q1$2.0 billion2022
2023-Q4$2.2 billion2022
2023-Q3$2.1 billion2022
2023-Q2$2.0 billion2022
2023-Q1$2.0 billion2022
2022-Q4$2.2 billion2022
2022-Q3$2.1 billion2022
2022-Q2$1.9 billion2022
2022-Q1$1.8 billion2022
2021-Q4$1.9 billion2017
2021-Q3$1.7 billion2017
2021-Q2$1.6 billion2017
2021-Q1$1.4 billion2017
2020-Q4$1.7 billion2017
2020-Q3$1.5 billion2017
2020-Q2$1.4 billion2017
2020-Q1$1.5 billion2017
2019-Q4$1.6 billion2017
2019-Q3$1.5 billion2017
2019-Q2$1.5 billion2017
2019-Q1$1.4 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $4.5 billion · 2023
2017: $3.2 billion2018: $3.4 billion2019: $3.5 billion2020: $3.6 billion2021: $4.2 billion2022: $4.5 billion2023: $4.5 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$4.5 billion
2022$4.5 billion
2021$4.2 billion
2020$3.6 billion
2019$3.5 billion
2018$3.4 billion
2017$3.2 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages224,7802026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages28,4482026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$2.1 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
SalesEmployer firms by kind of business, current dollarsAnnual Retail Trade Survey$26.4 billion20221992–2022 · 31 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$4.5 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns166,16420232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns23,92620232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$6.2 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census204,66820222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census23,98220222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census20,18020222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$42.6 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Specialty Food Retailers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
44521Meat Markets$6.1 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census50,0962023 · CBP
44522Fish and Seafood Markets$2.4 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census11,2842023 · CBP
44523Fruit and Vegetable Retailers$4.6 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census29,9792026-Q1 · QCEW
44524Meat Retailers$11.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census62,9002026-Q1 · QCEW
44525Fish and Seafood Retailers$3.8 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census14,4672026-Q1 · QCEW
44529Other Specialty Food Retailers$22.7 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census117,4342026-Q1 · QCEW

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.