Estimated Annual Gross Margin as a Percentage of Sales of U.S.

Retail Firms by Kind of Business: 1993 Through 2013

[Estimates are shown as percentages and are based on data from the Annual Retail Trade Survey. Estimates have been adjusted using preliminary results of the 2012 Economic Census.]
NAICS Code

441
4411
4413
442
443
444
4441
445
4451
4453
446
4461
44611
447
448
4481
44811
44812
44814
4482
451
4511
452
4521
45211
452111
452112
4529
45291
45299
453
454
4541
Footnotes:

Kind of business

2013

2012r

2011r

2010r

2009r

2008r

2007r

2006r

2005r

2004r

2003r

2002r

2001r

2000r

1999r

1998r

1997

1996

1995

1994

1993

Retail gross margin as a percentage of sales, total

Total (excl. motor vehicle and parts dealers)
GAFO ...
Motor vehicle and parts dealers ...
Automobile dealers ...
Automotive parts, access., and tire stores ..
Furniture and home furnishings stores ...
Electronics and appliance stores ...
Building mat. and garden equip. and supplies dealers
Building mat. and supplies dealers ...
Food and beverage stores ...
Grocery stores ...
Beer, wine, and liquor stores ...
Health and personal care stores ...
Health and personal care stores ...
Pharmacies and drug stores ...
Gasoline stations ...
Clothing and clothing access. stores ...
Clothing stores ...
Men's clothing stores ...
Women's clothing stores ...
Family clothing stores ...
Shoe stores ...
Sporting goods, hobby, book, and music stores .
Sporting goods, hobby, and musical instrument stores
General merchandise stores ...
Department stores ...
Department stores ...
Department stores (except discount dept. stores)
Discount dept. stores ...
Other general merchandise stores ...
Warehouse clubs and supercenters ...
All other gen. merchandise stores ...
Miscellaneous store retailers ...
Nonstore retailers ...
Electronic shopping and mail-order houses .

27.7
30.0
33.8
19.4
16.3
43.6
46.8
29.9
34.6
35.5
27.7
27.1
28.8
30.3
30.3
24.6
11.6
45.9
45.0
51.7
49.6
38.9
48.0
41.7
41.9
26.6
33.4
33.4
37.8
31.0
24.1
22.2
37.4
47.2
39.1
38.2

27.5
29.4
33.5
20.3
17.3
42.0
46.2
30.4
33.8
34.8
27.9
27.3
28.2
29.9
29.9
24.1
11.0
45.8
45.2
51.1
50.3
38.3
47.0
40.9
41.7
26.4
32.2
32.2
37.1
29.5
24.2
22.0
38.8
46.1
37.9
37.1

27.4
29.4
33.7
19.1
15.6
44.0
45.9
26.0
34.0
34.7
28.3
27.8
27.9
29.1
29.1
23.5
11.2
45.7
44.9
52.2
49.4
38.5
47.0
40.2
41.6
27.7
33.8
33.8
39.0
30.9
25.1
23.2
38.7
45.4
37.3
36.4

28.2
30.2
34.1
20.2
16.9
44.2
45.9
29.9
34.3
34.8
28.5
28.0
28.1
29.2
29.2
23.8
12.0
45.5
44.7
49.9
49.3
39.0
49.1
40.0
41.2
28.0
33.6
33.6
38.7
30.8
25.6
23.9
37.3
45.6
38.0
36.7

27.0
29.7
32.7
15.1
11.4
42.4
44.6
28.2
32.5
33.6
28.5
28.0
27.5
28.8
28.8
23.6
12.8
42.7
42.7
47.8
48.3
36.7
46.2
38.8
39.4
27.1
32.6
32.6
37.2
30.2
24.6
22.7
38.9
43.5
37.5
36.1

26.7
29.1
32.4
17.4
13.8
43.2
44.2
26.7
32.0
32.6
29.0
28.6
27.5
28.6
28.6
23.3
12.6
43.7
43.1
49.3
46.4
38.2
47.2
37.8
39.2
26.0
31.6
31.6
35.5
29.4
23.3
21.6
36.4
44.3
37.3
37.1

27.6
30.4
33.7
18.1
15.1
42.1
45.9
27.4
33.7
34.4
29.2
28.9
27.6
29.2
29.2
23.9
13.4
44.9
44.3
49.1
48.6
39.4
46.9
40.1
40.0
26.8
32.5
32.5
38.2
29.2
23.6
21.9
36.6
45.4
38.7
38.1

27.7
30.8
34.0
17.7
14.7
43.6
46.5
27.3
33.1
33.6
29.2
28.9
27.5
30.3
30.3
25.3
14.3
46.5
45.7
50.6
50.0
41.3
48.1
39.3
39.7
26.6
32.5
32.5
37.8
29.2
22.9
20.9
37.2
45.0
39.1
38.6

27.8
31.3
34.5
17.0
14.0
43.0
46.7
27.6
33.0
33.7
29.0
28.6
27.8
30.6
30.6
25.6
16.1
45.8
45.3
50.4
48.9
41.1
49.0
39.6
39.0
27.9
33.6
33.6
39.6
29.7
23.9
22.1
35.9
43.8
39.1
37.9

28.5
32.0
34.9
18.0
15.1
42.9
48.0
28.2
32.8
33.2
29.3
28.9
27.9
31.4
31.4
26.2
17.4
46.2
45.5
53.5
49.4
40.9
47.3
40.5
39.4
27.8
33.5
33.5
36.6
31.5
23.4
21.1
37.8
44.7
40.5
38.9

28.2
31.8
34.1
18.0
15.7
40.5
46.5
27.8
31.7
32.1
29.0
28.7
27.0
30.6
30.6
26.5
18.3
45.2
44.7
52.4
48.6
40.0
45.7
39.0
39.0
27.0
30.8
30.8
35.2
27.9
23.8
21.3
38.1
44.7
42.1
39.8

27.7
31.1
32.9
18.2
16.0
39.8
46.0
27.0
30.7
31.0
28.8
28.5
26.1
30.1
30.1
25.9
17.8
43.7
42.6
47.6
44.9
39.4
44.1
38.2
38.0
25.3
29.9
29.9
36.3
25.8
20.8
18.4
33.9
43.8
42.3
39.1

26.5
30.7
32.4
15.0
12.4
38.0
44.6
25.7
30.5
30.7
28.6
28.2
26.3
29.9
29.9
25.8
18.8
41.9
41.4
45.7
43.4
38.1
41.1
38.6
38.0
25.7
30.7
30.7
35.2
27.7
19.9
16.6
35.4
41.5
40.4
37.4

27.5
31.0
33.7
18.1
15.9
36.9
45.0
27.1
29.9
30.1
27.1
26.6
27.0
30.1
30.1
25.5
19.2
43.1
42.7
46.2
43.4
40.7
41.2
38.7
38.1
26.9
31.5
31.5
36.9
27.6
20.7
17.2
35.8
42.5
41.0
38.6

27.9
31.1
33.7
19.3
17.1
39.3
44.2
26.1
28.1
28.0
27.5
26.9
27.2
30.0
30.0
25.6
21.3
43.0
42.3
44.5
41.3
41.1
42.6
38.3
37.1
27.4
31.5
31.5
37.1
27.5
21.0
17.2
35.9
41.6
42.0
38.9

27.7
31.1
33.3
18.6
16.3
36.9
43.3
25.4
28.0
27.9
26.7
26.0
28.6
31.2
31.2
26.6
22.1
42.4
42.0
44.2
40.5
41.3
41.9
37.3
36.8
27.2
30.8
30.8
36.0
27.0
20.9
16.6
35.5
43.0
44.0
40.9

27.6
30.5
32.7
19.6
17.3
37.4
42.5
24.9
26.9
26.9
26.0
25.4
26.6
31.5
31.5
26.7
22.1
41.4
40.8
44.0
39.3
39.8
41.6
37.7
36.7
26.6
27.5
27.5
36.5
20.9
24.8
21.1
34.9
43.2
44.3
42.7

27.7
30.4
32.4
20.1
17.9
38.1
42.3
24.6
27.8
27.8
26.0
25.4
28.0
30.5
30.5
25.7
22.5
41.1
39.8
43.8
39.0
38.2
42.3
35.7
35.6
26.5
27.3
27.3
37.2
19.7
24.9
20.7
35.1
43.1
45.3
44.0

28.0
30.5
32.6
21.0
19.1
37.2
41.9
26.2
28.0
27.6
25.9
25.3
27.4
29.9
29.9
25.1
22.8
40.3
38.5
41.9
37.1
37.0
42.9
37.4
35.1
26.7
27.7
27.7
36.4
21.0
24.6
19.1
36.9
43.8
45.6
43.7

28.0
30.5
33.3
21.1
19.1
38.4
42.9
28.3
28.6
28.4
25.1
24.5
26.7
30.6
30.6
26.1
21.5
41.6
39.8
44.5
36.9
39.7
43.5
39.3
37.8
26.6
27.5
27.5
36.5
20.2
24.4
19.6
34.1
43.6
45.9
44.6

27.9
30.3
33.8
20.5
18.4
37.7
42.2
28.8
28.3
28.1
24.9
24.4
24.3
30.7
30.7
26.5
20.8
41.0
38.9
42.3
36.9
38.7
42.9
38.1
36.4
27.9
29.5
29.5
37.7
22.5
24.1
17.1
34.5
44.5
44.6
44.7

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.

1
r

Revised Data.

Note: Estimated measures of sample variability can be found at http://www2.census.gov/retail/releases/current/arts/salescvs.xls.

Note: Estimates exclude food services. Retail total and other subsector totals may include data for kinds of business not shown. Estimates have not been adjusted for price changes. Additional information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, sample design, and definitions can be
found on the Internet at http://www.census.gov/retail/arts/how_surveys_are_collected.html.

U.S. Census Bureau