NAICS 2022
445
Food and Beverage Retailers
Analysis
NAICS 445 is the 2022 subsector for food and beverage retailers. Census lists 49 example activities under it in the official index.
County Business Patterns counts 160,298 US establishments in this code in 2023, employing 3,333,898 people at an average annual payroll of $29,308 per employee (3rd 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 49 index entries; typical ones are commissaries, primarily groceries, convenience food stores (except those with fuel pumps), automatic merchandising machine operators and fruit and vegetable stands, permanent.
It splits into 3 more detailed codes. The largest by establishments is 4451 (Grocery and Convenience Retailers) with 99,939.
Its more detailed codes are 4451 Grocery and Convenience Retailers (99,939 establishments), 4452 Specialty Food Retailers (23,926 establishments) and 4453 Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (36,433 establishments).
Between 2018 and 2023 the number of establishments grew 7% and employment rose 8%. 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 Food and Beverage Retailers subsector primarily retail general or specialized lines of food and beverage products. Establishments in this subsector with fixed point-of-sale locations have special equipment (e.g., freezers, refrigerated display cases, refrigerators) for displaying food and beverage products and have staff trained in the processing of food products to guarantee the proper storage and sanitary conditions required by regulatory authority. Vending machine operators are also included in this subsector.
Source: US Census Bureau, NAICS 2022 Manual.
Index entries (49)
- Commissaries, primarily groceries
- Convenience food stores (except those with fuel pumps)
- Automatic merchandising machine operators
- Fruit and vegetable stands, permanent
- Baked ham stores
- Fish markets
- Baked goods (not made on premises) stores
- Candy stores, packaged, retailing only
- Bottled water providers, direct selling
- Beer stores, packaged