Summary of Findings


Data from the 1992 Census of Retail Trade show that North Dakota's
4,790 retail stores with payroll had sales totaling $4.7 billion. In
1987, 5,235 retail stores had sales of $3.7 billion. The 1992 data
represent an increase of 25.9 percent in total retail sales for the
State. 

For establishments with payroll in 1992, sales of new and used car
dealers accounted for 20.6 percent of the State's total sales by
retailers compared with 20.1 percent in 1987. Other leading retail
kinds of business in 1992 were grocery stores with 16.2 percent of
sales, department stores (including leased departments) with 13.3
percent, and gasoline service stations with 9.4 percent. 

For 1992, sales for establishments with payroll in the State averaged
$981 thousand per establishment, compared with $712 thousand in 1987.
In 1992, department stores (including leased departments) averaged
$15.3 million per establishment; new and used car dealers, $7.9
million; miscellaneous general merchandise stores, $3.2 million;
grocery stores, $2.1 million; and lumber and other building materials
dealers, $1.5 million. 

For retail establishments with payroll, 1992 sales per employee
averaged $91 thousand. New and used car dealers had sales per employee
of $333 thousand, which contrasts sharply with the $21 thousand per
employee average for restaurants. 

The 1992 payroll of retailers in the State amounted to $514 million,
compared with $408 million for 1987. Payroll as a percent of sales of
establishments with payroll averaged 11.0 percent for all retailers,
28.8 percent for retail bakeries, compared with 6.4 percent for
gasoline service stations. 

There were 51,754 paid employees (full- and part-time) engaged in
retail trade in the State as of mid-March 1992, compared with 48,163
employees in 1987. Large employers included restaurants with 8,506
employees, grocery stores with 7,003 employees, and refreshment places
with 6,783 employees.