About the Study

In 2011, the National Retail Federation engaged PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP to conduct a comprehensive and in-depth study of the impact of the retail industry on the U.S. economy. Researchers looked at the number of stores, the number of jobs, labor income ranging from employee pay and benefits to pension contributions, and retail’s contribution to gross domestic product. The study then divided the data into three categories: direct impact generated within the retail industry itself, indirect impact through non-merchandise goods and services purchased from other industries, and “induced” impact from the household income spent by workers employed by retailers and their non-merchandise suppliers. The complete report, which provides breakdowns at the national, state and congressional district levels along with details of its definitions and methodology, is available here.