Analysis
NAICS 424 is the 2022 subsector for merchant wholesalers, nondurable goods, part of 42 (Wholesale Trade). Census lists 784 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 122,098 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 2,358,648 people at an average annual payroll of $85,510 per employee (74th percentile of national industries). 51% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which is close to the national mix.
Across its national industries Census lists 784 index entries; typical ones are envelope paper, bulk, merchant wholesalers, albums, photo, merchant wholesalers, bags, paper and disposable plastics, merchant wholesalers and antibiotics merchant wholesalers.
It splits into 9 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 4244 (Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers) with 34,928.
Its more detailed codes are 4241 Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers (7,603 establishments), 4242 Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (8,919 establishments), 4243 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions Merchant Wholesalers (13,318 establishments), 4244 Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers (34,928 establishments), 4245 Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers (6,100 establishments) and 4246 Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers (11,364 establishments) and 3 more.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 5% and employment fell 1%. The 2018 count used NAICS 2017, so part of a large move can come from codes being redefined rather than from businesses opening or closing.
Official definition
Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods subsector sell nondurable goods to other businesses. Nondurable goods are items generally with a normal life expectancy of less than three years. Nondurable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as paper and paper products, chemicals and chemical products, drugs, textiles and textile products, apparel, footwear, groceries, farm products, petroleum and petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, books, magazines, newspapers, flowers and nursery stock, and tobacco products.
The detailed industries within the subsector are organized in the classification structure based on the products sold.
Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling nondurable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Index entries (784)
- Envelope paper, bulk, merchant wholesalers
- Albums, photo, merchant wholesalers
- Bags, paper and disposable plastics, merchant wholesalers
- Antibiotics merchant wholesalers
- Apparel trimmings merchant wholesalers
- Athletic footwear (except specialty athletic footwear) merchant wholesalers
- Accessories, clothing, men's and boy's, merchant wholesalers
- Food, general-line, merchant wholesalers
- Bakery products, frozen, merchant wholesalers
- Butter merchant wholesalers
- Chicken and chicken products (except canned and packaged frozen) merchant wholesalers
- Candy merchant wholesalers
- Cured fish merchant wholesalers
- Cutting of purchased carcasses (except boxed meat cut on an assembly line basis) merchant wholesalers
- Berries, fresh, merchant wholesalers
- Baby foods, canned, merchant wholesalers
- Beans, dry inedible, merchant wholesalers
- Auction markets, livestock (except horses, mules), merchant wholesalers
- Animal hair, wool, or mohair merchant wholesalers
- Cellulose film merchant wholesalers
- Acids merchant wholesalers
- Alternative fuels, blended with petroleum, bulk stations and terminals, merchant wholesalers
- Alternative fuels, blended with petroleum, merchant wholesalers (except bulk stations, terminals)
- Alcoholic beverages (except distilled spirits, wine) merchant wholesalers
- Alcoholic beverages, wine, and distilled spirits merchant wholesalers
- Agricultural chemicals merchant wholesalers
- Antique book merchant wholesalers
- Artificial flowers and plants merchant wholesalers
- Chewing tobacco merchant wholesalers
- Automotive paints merchant wholesalers
- Aquarium fish and supplies merchant wholesalers