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Size of the US Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers industry

NAICS 4244, Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers. Every figure on this page was published by a federal statistical agency and carries its source and period. Palanor does not estimate: a period the agency didn’t publish shows as missing, and a figure it withheld shows as withheld.

Key figures

Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)
$1.30 trillion
2022 · Economic Census
All establishments, current dollars
Employment
819,022
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter
Establishments
50,181
2026-Q1 · Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages
Private ownership
Firms
27,414
2022 · Economic Census
Annual payroll
$59.2 billion
2023 · County Business Patterns

Over time

Employment · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 819,022 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 783,8292019-Q2: 792,4572019-Q3: 791,9692019-Q4: 794,5692020-Q1: 781,0372020-Q2: 730,5642020-Q3: 734,5342020-Q4: 742,5002021-Q1: 734,9232021-Q2: 746,5212021-Q3: 753,9182021-Q4: 775,7202022-Q1: 778,6052022-Q2: 791,3442022-Q3: 801,4062022-Q4: 808,1292023-Q1: 806,5702023-Q2: 816,8242023-Q3: 818,3372023-Q4: 821,1922024-Q1: 818,6662024-Q2: 828,9022024-Q3: 829,7022024-Q4: 828,3882025-Q1: 829,0562025-Q2: 831,7372025-Q3: 829,1582025-Q4: 830,3882026-Q1: 819,022NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1819,0222022
2025-Q4830,3882022
2025-Q3829,1582022
2025-Q2831,7372022
2025-Q1829,0562022
2024-Q4828,3882022
2024-Q3829,7022022
2024-Q2828,9022022
2024-Q1818,6662022
2023-Q4821,1922022
2023-Q3818,3372022
2023-Q2816,8242022
2023-Q1806,5702022
2022-Q4808,1292022
2022-Q3801,4062022
2022-Q2791,3442022
2022-Q1778,6052022
2021-Q4775,7202017
2021-Q3753,9182017
2021-Q2746,5212017
2021-Q1734,9232017
2020-Q4742,5002017
2020-Q3734,5342017
2020-Q2730,5642017
2020-Q1781,0372017
2019-Q4794,5692017
2019-Q3791,9692017
2019-Q2792,4572017
2019-Q1783,8292017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private-sector jobs in the third month of each quarter

Employment · County Business PatternsLatest 872,150 · 2023
2017: 833,7932018: 858,2752019: 859,0132020: 828,5812021: 784,0932022: 846,9632023: 872,150
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023872,150
2022846,963
2021784,093
2020828,581
2019859,013
2018858,275
2017833,793

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns · Paid employees in the pay period including March 12

Establishments · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest 50,181 · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: 44,2162019-Q2: 44,5052019-Q3: 44,7012019-Q4: 44,9052020-Q1: 44,8012020-Q2: 44,9832020-Q3: 45,2122020-Q4: 45,5142021-Q1: 45,1782021-Q2: 45,5212021-Q3: 46,0042021-Q4: 46,4662022-Q1: 46,9502022-Q2: 47,2052022-Q3: 47,8302022-Q4: 48,0702023-Q1: 48,3932023-Q2: 48,4542023-Q3: 49,2822023-Q4: 49,6302024-Q1: 49,5462024-Q2: 49,8462024-Q3: 49,9342024-Q4: 50,0542025-Q1: 49,6672025-Q2: 49,8472025-Q3: 50,0792025-Q4: 50,1392026-Q1: 50,181NAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q150,1812022
2025-Q450,1392022
2025-Q350,0792022
2025-Q249,8472022
2025-Q149,6672022
2024-Q450,0542022
2024-Q349,9342022
2024-Q249,8462022
2024-Q149,5462022
2023-Q449,6302022
2023-Q349,2822022
2023-Q248,4542022
2023-Q148,3932022
2022-Q448,0702022
2022-Q347,8302022
2022-Q247,2052022
2022-Q146,9502022
2021-Q446,4662017
2021-Q346,0042017
2021-Q245,5212017
2021-Q145,1782017
2020-Q445,5142017
2020-Q345,2122017
2020-Q244,9832017
2020-Q144,8012017
2019-Q444,9052017
2019-Q344,7012017
2019-Q244,5052017
2019-Q144,2162017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Establishments · County Business PatternsLatest 34,928 · 2023
2017: 35,5062018: 35,4742019: 35,1222020: 34,7582021: 34,7192022: 34,8522023: 34,928
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
202334,928
202234,852
202134,719
202034,758
201935,122
201835,474
201735,506

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

Total wages in the quarter · Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesLatest $17.6 billion · 2026-Q1
2019-Q1: $12.2 billion2019-Q2: $11.6 billion2019-Q3: $11.9 billion2019-Q4: $12.7 billion2020-Q1: $12.6 billion2020-Q2: $11.0 billion2020-Q3: $11.4 billion2020-Q4: $13.3 billion2021-Q1: $12.1 billion2021-Q2: $12.1 billion2021-Q3: $12.8 billion2021-Q4: $14.8 billion2022-Q1: $13.7 billion2022-Q2: $13.5 billion2022-Q3: $14.7 billion2022-Q4: $15.1 billion2023-Q1: $15.7 billion2023-Q2: $14.4 billion2023-Q3: $15.0 billion2023-Q4: $16.0 billion2024-Q1: $16.6 billion2024-Q2: $15.0 billion2024-Q3: $15.6 billion2024-Q4: $16.7 billion2025-Q1: $17.4 billion2025-Q2: $15.7 billion2025-Q3: $16.1 billion2025-Q4: $17.3 billion2026-Q1: $17.6 billionNAICS 2022 from 2022-Q1
Show the numbers
PeriodValueNAICS
2026-Q1$17.6 billion2022
2025-Q4$17.3 billion2022
2025-Q3$16.1 billion2022
2025-Q2$15.7 billion2022
2025-Q1$17.4 billion2022
2024-Q4$16.7 billion2022
2024-Q3$15.6 billion2022
2024-Q2$15.0 billion2022
2024-Q1$16.6 billion2022
2023-Q4$16.0 billion2022
2023-Q3$15.0 billion2022
2023-Q2$14.4 billion2022
2023-Q1$15.7 billion2022
2022-Q4$15.1 billion2022
2022-Q3$14.7 billion2022
2022-Q2$13.5 billion2022
2022-Q1$13.7 billion2022
2021-Q4$14.8 billion2017
2021-Q3$12.8 billion2017
2021-Q2$12.1 billion2017
2021-Q1$12.1 billion2017
2020-Q4$13.3 billion2017
2020-Q3$11.4 billion2017
2020-Q2$11.0 billion2017
2020-Q1$12.6 billion2017
2019-Q4$12.7 billion2017
2019-Q3$11.9 billion2017
2019-Q2$11.6 billion2017
2019-Q1$12.2 billion2017

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · Private ownership

Annual payroll · County Business PatternsLatest $59.2 billion · 2023
2017: $46.0 billion2018: $48.1 billion2019: $49.1 billion2020: $47.7 billion2021: $50.4 billion2022: $55.6 billion2023: $59.2 billion
Show the numbers
PeriodValue
2023$59.2 billion
2022$55.6 billion
2021$50.4 billion
2020$47.7 billion
2019$49.1 billion
2018$48.1 billion
2017$46.0 billion

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns

The ledger

Every published measure

MeasureSourceLatestPeriodHistory
EmploymentPrivate-sector jobs in the third month of each quarterQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages819,0222026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
EstablishmentsPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages50,1812026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Total wages in the quarterPrivate ownershipQuarterly Census of Employment and Wages$17.6 billion2026-Q12019-Q1–2026-Q1 · 29 published
Annual payrollCounty Business Patterns$59.2 billion20232017–2023 · 7 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12County Business Patterns872,15020232017–2023 · 7 published
EstablishmentsCounty Business Patterns34,92820232017–2023 · 7 published
Annual payrollEconomic Census$54.4 billion20222017–2022 · 2 published
EmploymentPaid employees in the pay period including March 12Economic Census838,53520222017–2022 · 2 published
EstablishmentsEconomic Census34,60420222017–2022 · 2 published
FirmsEconomic Census27,41420222017–2022 · 2 published
Receipts (sales, shipments or revenue)All establishments, current dollarsEconomic Census$1.30 trillion20222017–2022 · 2 published

Breakdown

Industries within Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers

NAICSIndustrySizeEmployment
42441General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers$266 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census254,9582026-Q1 · QCEW
42442Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers$185 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census35,4582026-Q1 · QCEW
42443Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers$87.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census33,7652026-Q1 · QCEW
42444Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers$14.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census13,7912026-Q1 · QCEW
42445Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers$77.2 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census62,6952026-Q1 · QCEW
42446Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers$23.1 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census27,3052026-Q1 · QCEW
42447Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers$113 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census49,3752026-Q1 · QCEW
42448Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers$114 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census95,8752026-Q1 · QCEW
42449Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers$419 billionReceipts · 2022 · Economic Census245,8002026-Q1 · QCEW

Companies

Public companies in this industry

Companies Palanor tracks whose GICS classification maps to NAICS 4244. The mapping is Palanor’s, one GICS sub-industry to one NAICS code; a company’s own mix of business can span several.

  • PFGC Performance Food Group
  • SYY Sysco

Sources

Where every number comes from

Figures are in current dollars and are the agencies’ own, revised when they revise. Each program defines its universe differently (employer firms, private ownership, all establishments), so figures from different sources are not meant to add up. This page is not endorsed by the Census Bureau, BEA or BLS. The same data is in the Palanor API (/v1/industries) and the MCP (palanor_get_industry). All industries.