Sources of Data

In order to estimate Retail Sales by Product Line, Devonshire uses the following data sources: the latest Census of Retail Trade, the Census of Retail Trade Product Line Series, Devonshire's Retail Sales by Store Type and business point data from the dmPLUS National Record Summary Database.

Industry/Data Groups

Product Line Sales include the following broad categories:

Groceries Meals Drinks (Served) Packaged Liquor Tobacco Products Drugs/HBA Soaps/Cleaners Paper/Related Products Mens Wear Womens Wear Childrens Wear Footwear Sewing/Knitting Goods Drapes/Coverings Major Appliances Small Appliances TVs/Video Equipment Audio/Musical Equipment/Supplies Furniture/Sleep Equipment Floor Coverings Computer Hardware

Kitchenware Jewelry Books Photo Equipment Toys/Hobbies/Games Optical Goods Sporting Goods Recreational Vehicles Hardware/Tools Lawn/Garden Lumber/Supplies Paint Mobile Homes New/Used Cars/Trucks/Vans Auto Fuels Auto Lubricants Auto Tires/Batteries/Accessories Household Fuels Pets/Supplies Other Merchandise

For each of the broad lines, sales data is further classified by store type.  85 Minor product line categories, including minor product lines by store type, are also available.

County Methodology

First, Devonshire estimates Total Retail Sales by Store Type, which is discussed in the Retail Sales methodology.  Next, the Census year proportion of a particular product line's sales over total sales of the store type is established for all counties.  Finally, in order to estimate Retail Sales of a Product Line, this proportion is applied to the current year's Total Retail Sales of the Store Type at the County level.

ZIP Code Methodology

Using a method similar to that for counties, Devonshire estimates all broad and minor Product Lines by Store Type at the ZIP Code level.

Blockgroup/Census Tract Methodology

Business point data from over 27 million unique business records is geocoded, summarized, and identified by NAICS classification.  Using a method similar to that for ZIP and counties, Devonshire estimates all broad and minor Product Lines by Store Type at the blockgroup and census tract level.