NAICS Change Notice

The 2022 Annual Retail Trade Survey (ARTS) estimates were re-released on September 25, 2024 to incorporate the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). Publication tables will be reformatted to incorporate the 2017 NAICS definitions. For a detailed description of these changes, please see: https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/arts/2017_naics_restatement.html

Employer Only Notice

Previously in the Annual Retail Trade Survey, firms without paid employees, or nonemployers, were included in the estimates through imputation or administrative data provided by other federal agencies. In addition to the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) changes, the Annual Retail Trade Survey restated data on September 25, 2024 to include employer-only time series to be aligned with the Annual Integrated Economic Survey (AIES).  The change impacts the following tables:

• Sales (1992 – 2022)
• Sales Taxes (2004 – 2022)
• Inventories  (1992 – 2022)
• Purchases  (1992 – 2022)
• Gross Margins (1993 – 2022)
• Per Capita Sales (2000 – 2022)
• U.S. Retail Trade Sales - Total and E-commerce (1998 – 2022)
• Sales for U.S. Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses (NAICS 4541) - Total and E-commerce by Primary Business Activity (2015-2022) 

For additional information on Nonemployer Statistics (NES), please refer to their program methodology.