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. Both are hierarchical, organized by broad industry categories, each divided into more specific industries.
Note: If you are researching a very specific or very new industry, it may not be included in these industry classification systems.
Example NAICS codes:
311 - Food Manufacturing - includes sugar & confectionery, dairy products, meat, seafood and bakery products
3121 - Beverage Manufacturing - includes soft drinks, breweries, wineries
For retail industry codes, please see the Retail Industry guide.
- NAICS (North American Industry Classification System)Developed in 1997, by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Industry codes are from 2-6 digits long.
Researching a New or Specialized Industry?
Overviews are easier to find for broader, established industries and larger geographic areas (countries, regions, world).
If you cannot find information on your industry, look for a broader industry or geography.
Also, search for news or magazine articles in the databases listed on the "Articles & News" page.
Associations & Other Organizations
- OECD. Agriculture and FoodBooks, papers and statistics for countries in the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) via OECD iLibrary.
Industry & Market Research Databases
- BCC Research This link opens in a new windowProvides 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 windowIndustry profiles for a variety of industries and locations, as well as country business & economic profiles.
- CB Insights This link opens in a new windowThe 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 windowMarket 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 windowReports on over 700 US and Canadian industries and some global industries.
- MarketResearch.com Academic This link opens in a new windowMarket 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 windowInternational 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 windowSurvey data on Canadians' usage of over 3500 products and services. See the Help section for tutorials and guides.
PitchBook has comprehensive information on global capital markets, research, insights for both public and private equity markets.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowA 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 windowIncludes case studies, trends, company profiles, advertising spending statistics, economic data and consumer insight.
Government
- Agriculture and Agri-Food CanadaContains sector profiles for Canada and for international markets for various food and beverage products. Includes Fish and Seafood
- AgriFoodBCBritish Columbia agriculture and food industry information.
- BC Ministry of Agriculture. Industry CompetitivenessIndustry overviews include for fruits, vegetables, organics, specialty crops.
- Canadian Dairy Information Centre (CDIC). The Canadian Dairy Industry at a GlanceStatistics and market information on the Canadian dairy industry.
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Foreign Agricultural Service. Global Agricultural Information NetworkMarket research for products and countries.
- Canadian Industry Statistics. Animal Production (NAICS 112)Includes data like number of establishments, financial benchmarks, and company directories.
- U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. Economic Research ServiceCrops, farm economy, food sector including organic agriculture, food prices and expenditures, trade, country profiles.
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.
- dairy industry site:gov.bc.ca(adding site:gov.bc.ca searches only BC government websites)
- food safety site:.gov(adding site:.gov searches only U.S. government websites)
- wine industry site:gc.ca(adding site:gc.ca searches only Canadian federal government websites)