Companies

Resources related to the Retail Industry, including Grocery Stores, Convenience Stores, Home Improvement Centers, Department Stores, Clothing Stores, Catalog Merchants and other Specialty Retailers. For general assistance researching an industry see our Subject Guide on Company & Industry Research.

STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION (SIC) When using many databases and reference sources it is useful to know the SIC code for the industry you are studying. SIC codes for these industries include the following:

• SIC 5251 Hardware Stores
• SIC 5311 Department Stores
• SIC 5411 Grocery Stores
• SIC 5621 Women's Clothing Stores

This is not a complete list of codes for these industries, merely a sample. See the SIC MANUAL for additional codes, also in the Cole Library at REF HF 1042 .A55.

NORTH AMERICAN INDUSTRY CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM (NAICS)

The SIC system has recently been replaced by the NAICS. Only a few sources are now using these codes, but more will be making the switch in the near future. NAICS codes for these industries include the following:

• NAICS 444130 Hardware Stores
• NAICS 452110 Department Stores
• NAICS 445110 Grocery Stores
• NAICS 448120 Clothing Stores, Women's and Girl's

These are samples, not complete lists, of SIC and NAICS codes for these industries. Use the following sources to identify additional SIC and NAICS codes for your company or industry.

• Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) Manual
  Location of the print manual: REF HF 1042 .A55
• North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Manual
  Location of the print manual: REF HF 1042 .N67
• 1997 NAICS and 1987 SIC Correspondence Tables
  Match SIC codes with NAICS codes, or match NAICS codes with SIC codes.
• 2002 NAICS and 1997 NAICS Correspondence Tables
  Match 2002 and 1997 NAICS codes in both directions.

Hoover's Industry Records (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Retail
Get a detailed industry overview including key people and a ranking of key companies. Find industry news, company lists, news, and industry-related website links. Hoover's provides detailed sub-industry links, SIC and NAICS codes, and industry family trees.

Business Source Premier (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Retail
Use the Business Searching Interface to find global industry profiles from leading market research sources.

Value Line Research Center Retail Industry Descriptions (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Retrieve a one page overview and forecast, as well as some industry statistics, for the industry. Also available in the library in print.

Standard & Poor's Retail Industry Survey (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Obtain a substantial overview (about 30 pages), statistics and outlook for the industry. Includes a comparative analysis of statistics for the industry's major players.
Special Directions: select "Industry" from the horizontal blue menu bar at the top of S & P's home page.

Also available in the library in print.
Location: REF HC 106.6 .S74

Standard & Poor's Retail Industry Survey (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Obtain a substantial overview (about 30 pages), statistics and outlook for the industry. Includes a comparative analysis of statistics for the industry's major players.
Special Directions: select "Industry" from the horizontal blue menu bar at the top of S & P's home page.

Also available in the library in print.
Location: REF HC 106.6 .S74

RETAIL SALES STATISTICS from the National Retail Foundation.

RETAIL & WHOLESALE TRADE STATISTICS from the Bureau of the Census.

INDUSTRY INFO from the Retail Industry Leaders Association

Value Line Research Center Retail Industry Descriptions (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Retrieve a one page overview and forecast, as well as some industry statistics, for the industry. Also available in the library in print.
Location: Business Reference Area

US INDUSTRY & TRADE OUTLOOK (REF HC 101 .U54) See entry for the Retail Trade.

Trade & Industry Associations

Business & Company Resource Center (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Find associations related to the industry using Business & Company Resource Center. Use the Advanced Search and select Associations in the Content Area pull-down menu. This gives you online access to the International, US National, and Regional, State & Local volumes of the Encyclopedia of Associations.

Additional resources for finding associations are in the guide to Finding a Trade, Industry, or Professional Association.

Search the Cole Library's list of electronic full text journals using the Electronic Journals: A-Z list.

ABI/Inform (ProQuest) (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Search for full text articles from trade publications related to the retail industry.

Business Source Premier (EBSCO) (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Search for full text articles on the retail industry from trade and business sources.

US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

US CONSUMER PRODUCTS SAFETY COMMISSION

Find lists of major companies in the industry using these databases:

Mergent Online (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
See the Industry Reports or search by NAICS or SIC.

Standard & Poor’s Industry Surveys (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
See the Comparative Company Analysis section.

Hoover’s (Rensselaer at Hartford login ID and password required)
Search one company in the industry and use the Competitors link to see others. Industry keyword search and browsing are also available.

See Locating a Company on the World Wide Web for guidance in finding the Web sites of companies.