Summary of Findings


Data from the 1992 Census of Retail Trade show that Alaska's 3,693
retail stores with payroll had sales totaling $5.0 billion. In 1987,
3,522 retail stores had sales of $3.6 billion. The 1992 data represent
an increase of 38.1 percent in total retail sales for the State. 

For establishments with payroll in 1992, sales of grocery stores
accounted for 22.6 percent of the State's total sales by retailers
compared with 24.6 percent in 1987. Other leading retail kinds of
business in 1992 were new and used car dealers with 12.2 percent of
sales, miscellaneous general merchandise stores with 7.6 percent, and
department stores (including leased departments) with 6.2 percent. 

For 1992, sales for establishments with payroll in the State averaged
$1.3 million per establishment, compared with $1.0 million in 1987. In
1992, department stores (including leased departments) averaged $31.1
million per establishment; new and used car dealers, $16.9 million;
miscellaneous general merchandise stores, $3.8 million; grocery stores,
$3.7 million; and lumber and other building materials dealers, $3.2
million. 

For retail establishments with payroll, 1992 sales per employee
averaged $126 thousand. New and used car dealers had sales per employee
of $333 thousand, which contrasts sharply with the $42 thousand per
employee average for restaurants. 

The 1992 payroll of retailers in the State amounted to $671 million,
compared with $484 million for 1987. Payroll as a percent of sales of
establishments with payroll averaged 13.5 percent for all retailers,
20.5 percent for retail bakeries, compared with 7.4 percent for
gasoline service stations. 

There were 39,471 paid employees (full- and part-time) engaged in
retail trade in the State as of mid-March 1992, compared with 35,967
employees in 1987. Large employers included grocery stores with 7,536
employees, restaurants with 5,080 employees, and refreshment places
with 4,308 employees.