Analysis
NAICS 424310 is the 2022 national industry for piece goods, notions, and other dry goods merchant wholesalers, part of 42431 (Piece Goods, Notions, and Other Dry Goods Merchant Wholesalers). Census lists 30 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 2,844 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 21,231 people at an average annual payroll of $63,460 per employee (40th percentile of national industries). 67% of the establishments have fewer than five employees, which marks it as a small-business industry.
Its index entries, the activities Census uses to assign businesses to this code, include apparel trimmings merchant wholesalers, automotive fabrics merchant wholesalers, belt and buckle assembly kits merchant wholesalers and binding, textile, merchant wholesalers, among 30 in all.
For example, businesses primarily engaged as converters who buy fabric goods in the grey, have them finished on a contract basis, and sell at wholesale are classified in 313310 (Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills) instead.
Census lists 2 related activities that belong elsewhere, most often in 313310 and 424990. Businesses that do several things are classified by their primary activity, the one that generates the most value, so check those boundaries before settling on this code.
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments fell 3% and employment fell 13%. 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
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of piece goods, fabrics, knitting yarns (except industrial), thread and other notions, and/or hair accessories.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Not this code if…
| The business mainly does | Use instead |
|---|---|
| Establishments primarily engaged as converters who buy fabric goods in the grey, have them finished on a contract basis, and sell at wholesale | 313310 Textile and Fabric Finishing Mills |
| Merchant wholesale distribution of industrial yarns | 424990 Other Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant Wholesalers |
Index entries (30)
- Apparel trimmings merchant wholesalers
- Automotive fabrics merchant wholesalers
- Belt and buckle assembly kits merchant wholesalers
- Binding, textile, merchant wholesalers
- Buttons merchant wholesalers
- Drapery material merchant wholesalers
- Embroidery products merchant wholesalers
- Fabrics, textile (except burlap, felt), merchant wholesalers
- Fasteners, clothing, merchant wholesalers
- Fiberglass fabrics merchant wholesalers
- Hair accessories merchant wholesalers
- Hat and cap materials merchant wholesalers
- Jute piece goods (except burlap) merchant wholesalers
- Labels, textile, merchant wholesalers
- Millinery supplies merchant wholesalers
- Needles, sewing, merchant wholesalers
- Net goods merchant wholesalers
- Notions merchant wholesalers
- Paddings, apparel, merchant wholesalers
- Piece goods (except burlap, felt) merchant wholesalers
- Remnants, piece goods, merchant wholesalers
- Ribbons, textile, merchant wholesalers
- Sewing accessories merchant wholesalers
- Tapes, textile, merchant wholesalers
- Textiles (except burlap, felt) merchant wholesalers
- Thread (except industrial) merchant wholesalers
- Upholstery fabrics merchant wholesalers
- Yard goods, textile (except burlap, felt), merchant wholesalers
- Yarns (except industrial) merchant wholesalers
- Zippers merchant wholesalers