Census of Retail Trade

The Census of Retail Trade (CRT) provides periodic and comprehensive statistics about retail establishments and activities. The United States Code, Title 13, requires this census and provides for mandatory responses. Basic data obtained for all establishments include kind of business, geographic location, dollar volume of sales, annual and first quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12. Establishments receiving a census form provide additional data on sales by merchandise line and industry-specific measures, such as number of prescriptions sold by drug stores.