Research Guides: Retail Industries: Industry Overviews

Industry Codes

Some market research databases and websites organize business information using industry codes. The two industry classification systems you will come across most often are NAICS and SIC.

Example NAICS codes:

44-45 - Retail trade

Click the link below to browse for more industry codes, including:

Automobile Dealers
Book and Music Stores
Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers
Clothing and Clothing Accessories stores
Electronics and Appliance Stores
Food and Beverage Stores
Furniture & Home Furnishings Stores
Gasoline Stations
Grocery Stores
Health and Personal Care Stores
Sporting Goods stores
Other Miscellaneous Store Retailers - including art dealers, florists and used merchandise

NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)
Developed in 1997, by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Industry codes are from 2-6 digits long.

Industry & Market Research Databases

BCC Research This link opens in a new window
Provides market analysis and forecasting on a wide range of major emerging technological and scientific developments in the industrial, pharmaceutical and high technology sectors worldwide.
Business Source Ultimate This link opens in a new window
Industry profiles for a variety of industries and locations, as well as country business & economic profiles.
CB Insights This link opens in a new window
The CB Insights tech market intelligence platform analyzes millions of data points on venture capital, startups, patents, partnerships and news mentions to predict emerging technologies and trends.
eMarketer This link opens in a new window
Market research and trend analysis on digital media, marketing and commerce. Topics covered include B2B and B2C eBusiness, online consumer behaviour, social media, mobile devices.
IBISWorld Industry Reports This link opens in a new window
Reports on over 700 US and Canadian industries and some global industries.
MarketResearch.com Academic This link opens in a new window
Market research reports for consumer products, demographics, food, beverage, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and more. Includes reports from various sources, including Freedonia Focus, Packaged Facts and Kalorama.
Passport GMID This link opens in a new window
International statistical and market research reports for over 200 countries, covering consumer products and services, demographic and lifestyle reports and economic data.
Vividata This link opens in a new window
Survey data on Canadians' usage of over 3500 products and services. See the Help section for tutorials and guides.

PitchBook

PitchBook has comprehensive information on global capital markets, research, insights for both public and private equity markets.

Statista This link opens in a new window
A simple to use statistics portal that integrates statistics from thousands of sources, on topics related to business, media, public policy, health and others.
Warc : World Advertising Research Center This link opens in a new window
Includes case studies, trends, company profiles, advertising spending statistics, economic data and consumer insight.

Government

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Canadian Heritage: Canada Book Fund
Government support and information for publishers and other organizations in the Canadian book industry with marketing, professional development, strategic planning, internships, and technology projects.
Canadian Heritage. Canada Periodical Fund
Government support and information for publishers and other organizations in the industry.
Industry Canada. Retail Trade
Includes the report "The State of Retail: The Canadian Report 2010" a report published by Industry Canada and the Retail Council of Canada.

Using Google to find Government Resources

Did you know that you can limit your search in Google to government websites? Here are some examples.

Tip: Remember to try a few searches using different search words, to vary your results.

supermarkets site:gc.ca
(adding site:gc.ca searches only Canadian federal government websites)
pharmacy retail site:.gov
(adding site:.gov searches only U.S. government websites)
retail site:gov.bc.ca
(adding site:gov.bc.ca searches only BC government websites)