Editor's Note: Before I returned full-time to a 25-year career at Time magazine, I took a holiday job at a Bloomingdale's. Many of us take a detour at times into retail, regardless of low salaries, including those of customer service reps. There are part-time jobs, jobs close to home, somewhat flexible hours and a post-retirement dip into the job field. The US Labor Department has just produced a realistic look about this venerable employment field so well presented in recent years on Masterpiece Theater's Mr. Selfridge and The Paradise.
Actress Amanda Abbington (Miss Mardle) from the Masterpiece Theater presentation of Mr. Selfridge. (C) ITV Studios for MASTERPIECE
By | December 2014
About 15 million people worked in retail trade in the United States in May 2013, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). These workers — salespersons, stock clerks, customer service representatives, and others — provide a crucial link between consumers and the products they buy.
This article explores the retail trade industry and the trends that have influenced it. The first section gives a brief overview of the industry and its major occupations. The second section examines recent and future employment trends in retail trade. Sources for more information appear at the end of the article.
Retail details
The retail trade industry is a vast network of businesses that needs workers in hundreds of different occupations. Here’s a closer look at the employment, wage, and outlook data for both retail trade and its largest occupations.
Industry overview
The retail trade industry includes establishments that sell products, such as motor vehicles and clothing, and after-sale services related to these products, such as cleaning or repair. Retailers sell their products and services directly to customers, which may include individuals and businesses. Retail trade deals in smaller quantities than the bulk sales of wholesale trade.
There are two types of retailers: store and non-store. Store retailers run fixed, "brick-and-mortar" locations designed to attract walk-in customers. In these stores, retailers usually display products that they also advertise on television, radio, and other formats, such as the Internet.
Non-store retailers also sell to customers, but, as the name implies, they do not run a fixed, physical location. These retailers usually sell their products through informational commercials, or "infomercials"; door-to-door sales; and other places, such as portable stalls and kiosks.
Employment. According to BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) data, there were about 15.2 million workers in retail trade in May 2013. That total represents about 11 percent of nonfarm employment that year.
The largest employers within retail trade are other general merchandise stores (which includes warehouse clubs and supercenters, dollar stores, and variety stores) and food and beverage stores, each with about 3 million workers. The next largest employers are motor vehicle and parts dealers, which had 1.8 million workers; and clothing and clothing accessories stores, with 1.4 million workers.
Wages. In May 2013, the median annual wage in the retail trade industry was $22,980, compared with a median of $35,080 for workers in all industries. The median wage is the point at which half the workers in the industry earned more, and half earned less.
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