Executive Counsellor Guild

RETAIL OVERVIEW

Businesses in the retail category include the wide variety of stores at which people purchase products.

Research shows that the Retailing industry is the second-largest industry for the United States. This is in both numbers of retail stores and number of employees. This industry generates approximately $3.8 trillion in sales every year. Worldwide, retailing is also one of the largest industries.

Approximately 13 percent of all businesses in the U.S. are retailers. While single-store businesses make up more than 95 percent of all U.S. retailers, these generate less than 50 percent of total retail store sales. Gross margins average between 31 and 33 percent of sales but varies by industry segment.

Online Recourses:

NATIONAL RETAIL FEDERATION
www.nrf.com
The National Retail Federation is the world's largest retail trade association, with membership that comprises all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores as well as the industry's key trading partners of retail goods and services. Includes links to state retail associations, national associations, international associations and related retail associations.

NRF Divisions:

Association for Retail Technology Standards
www.nrf-arts.org

National Council of Chain Restaurants
www.nccr.net

Retail Advertising & Marketing Association
www.rama-nrf.org

Shop.org
www.shop.org

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