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Size of the US General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters industry

NAICS 45231, General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters. 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. This is a NAICS 2017 code that the 2022 edition replaced; the Census surveys that still publish on the 2017 basis keep it alive.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$624 billion
2017 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
2,470,790
2023 · County Business Patterns
Paid employees in the pay period including March 12
Establishments
57,082
2023 · County Business Patterns
Firms
7,865
2017 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$76.0 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 2,264,330 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 1,913,4292019-Q2: 1,932,1402019-Q3: 1,925,3442019-Q4: 2,046,8302020-Q1: 1,951,5242020-Q2: 2,078,4572020-Q3: 2,077,3882020-Q4: 2,167,8452021-Q1: 2,103,0682021-Q2: 2,067,1992021-Q3: 2,093,0792021-Q4: 2,264,330
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q42,264,330
2021-Q32,093,079
2021-Q22,067,199
2021-Q12,103,068
2020-Q42,167,845
2020-Q32,077,388
2020-Q22,078,457
2020-Q11,951,524
2019-Q42,046,830
2019-Q31,925,344
2019-Q21,932,140
2019-Q11,913,429

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 2,470,790 · 2023
2017: 2,225,7622018: 2,209,4062019: 2,307,9462020: 2,314,3132021: 2,437,2842022: 2,448,5922023: 2,470,790
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
20232,470,790
20222,448,592
20212,437,284
20202,314,313
20192,307,946
20182,209,406
20172,225,762

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

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 55,658 · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: 52,0332019-Q2: 52,4442019-Q3: 52,6252019-Q4: 52,9452020-Q1: 52,9102020-Q2: 53,1562020-Q3: 53,5052020-Q4: 53,9282021-Q1: 54,2522021-Q2: 54,7122021-Q3: 55,1502021-Q4: 55,658
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q455,658
2021-Q355,150
2021-Q254,712
2021-Q154,252
2020-Q453,928
2020-Q353,505
2020-Q253,156
2020-Q152,910
2019-Q452,945
2019-Q352,625
2019-Q252,444
2019-Q152,033

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

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 57,082 · 2023
2017: 49,3982018: 49,6392019: 51,9472020: 52,4042021: 53,0592022: 55,7252023: 57,082
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202357,082
202255,725
202153,059
202052,404
201951,947
201849,639
201749,398

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

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $16.7 billion · 2021-Q4
2019-Q1: $12.9 billion2019-Q2: $13.2 billion2019-Q3: $12.1 billion2019-Q4: $14.3 billion2020-Q1: $13.1 billion2020-Q2: $15.2 billion2020-Q3: $13.7 billion2020-Q4: $16.7 billion2021-Q1: $15.1 billion2021-Q2: $16.0 billion2021-Q3: $15.8 billion2021-Q4: $16.7 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2021-Q4$16.7 billion
2021-Q3$15.8 billion
2021-Q2$16.0 billion
2021-Q1$15.1 billion
2020-Q4$16.7 billion
2020-Q3$13.7 billion
2020-Q2$15.2 billion
2020-Q1$13.1 billion
2019-Q4$14.3 billion
2019-Q3$12.1 billion
2019-Q2$13.2 billion
2019-Q1$12.9 billion

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

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $76.0 billion · 2023
2017: $55.4 billion2018: $57.5 billion2019: $60.6 billion2020: $62.1 billion2021: $68.6 billion2022: $70.6 billion2023: $76.0 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$76.0 billion
2022$70.6 billion
2021$68.6 billion
2020$62.1 billion
2019$60.6 billion
2018$57.5 billion
2017$55.4 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 Wages2,264,3302021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages55,6582021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$16.7 billion2021-Q42019-Q1–2021-Q4 · 12 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$76.0 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns2,470,79020232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns57,08220232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$57.7 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census2,311,74120172017–2017 · 1 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census49,44320172017–2017 · 1 published
FirmsEconomic Census7,86520172017–2017 · 1 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$624 billion20172017–2017 · 1 published

Breakdown

Industries within General Merchandise Stores, including Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
452311Warehouse Clubs and Supercenters$550 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census1,966,5492023 · CBP
452319All Other General Merchandise Stores$73.5 billionReceipts · 2017 · Economic Census504,2412023 · CBP

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.