Research Guides: Industry Research: Retail and Wholesale

Retail and Wholesale

The retail and wholesale sectors focus on how goods move from producers to buyers. Retail trade covers businesses that sell directly to consumers and wholesale trade involves businesses that sell goods in bulk to other companies, often as part of the supply chain.

Industry research in these areas can help you:

Understand how products move from manufacturers to consumers
Explore sales, revenues, and market size
Identify key companies and competitors
Track trends in consumer spending and distribution channels

Sources for Retail Trade Data

Provides a detailed portrait of the U.S. economy every five years, with data down to the state and local level.

U.S. Census Bureau – Economic Census
The Economic Census provides a detailed portrait of the Nation's economy once every five years, from the national to the local level. Retail trade data from 2007, 2002 and 1997 are available in Explore Census Data.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Industries at a Glance: Retail Trade
Employment, wages, productivity, and economic indicators for retail trade.
U.S. Census Bureau - Monthly & Annual Retail Trade
Sales data and trend reports for retail and food services, plus the Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS).
Census Bureau - Retail Trade: Guide to Data Sources
A central page linking to all available Census retail trade data.

Gale Business Insights
Full-text company and industry reports, including coverage of retail sectors.

Searches can be done on company name or ticker symbol, industry code/description (SIC or NAICS), subjects in article, geographic search, or personal name. Searches can be limited by journal name, date range, or content area.
IBISWorld Industry Reports
U.S. industry research and risk ratings, including retail industries. Reports cover market size, competitors, growth rates, and trends.

All reports in this collection are updated between 1 and 4 times a year.
Mergent Intellect
Includes First Research industry reports with overviews and analysis of retail sectors.

Residential Search: Find address and other contact information on individuals.
Demographics Search: Demographic reports on a geographic area of your choice. Data includes statistics on the area's population, including age, race, gender, income and more.
Statista
Statistics, charts, forecasts, and reports on retail, e-commerce, and consumer industries.
Passport
Global market research database with strong coverage of retail and consumer industries. Includes industry reports, market sizes, company/brand data, and international comparisons.

Sources for Wholesale Trade Data

U.S. Census Bureau - Economic Census (Wholesale Trade)
Provides detailed data on U.S. wholesale industries every five years, with national, state, and metro-level coverage.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics - Industries at a Glance: Wholesale Trade
Employment, wages, productivity, and economic trends for wholesale trade.
U.S. Census Bureau - Monthly & Annual Wholesale Trade
Data on monthly and annual wholesale trade, including sales, inventories, and operating expenses.
U.S. Census Bureau - Wholesale Trade: Guide to Data Sources
Central page linking to available Census wholesale trade data.

IBISWorld Industry Reports
In-depth analysis of wholesale industries, including market size, performance, competitors, and trends.

All reports in this collection are updated between 1 and 4 times a year.
Mergent Intellect
Includes First Research reports and company data useful for studying wholesale and distribution industries.

Residential Search: Find address and other contact information on individuals.
Demographics Search: Demographic reports on a geographic area of your choice. Data includes statistics on the area's population, including age, race, gender, income and more.
Mergent Market Atlas
Provides global industry, company, country, ESG, and economic data, including wholesale and distribution sectors.
Statista
Industry data, statistics, and forecasts for wholesale and distribution markets worldwide.
PitchBook
Focuses on private companies, startups, and investment activity. Useful for exploring how venture capital and private equity are shaping wholesale and distribution sectors.