(Restricted) Census of Wholesale Trade (CWH)

Résumé 0

The Census of Wholesale Trade (CWH) provides periodic and comprehensive data about wholesale trade estabslihments and their activities. The Wholesale trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. Basic data obtained for all establishments include kind of business, federal income tax status, geographic location, taxable operating receipts (revenue for tax-exempt establishments), annual and first quarter payroll, and employment for the pay period including March 12. Establishments receiving a census form provide additional data on operational and organizational status, sources of receipts, business characteristics, and industry-specific measures such as exports and the number of hotel accommodations. Other measures for tax-exempt organizations include gifts and endowment income. The data are collected through a mail-out/mail-back questionnaire. All establishments of multi-unit firms and single-establishment employers with annualized payroll above a size cutoff (cutoffs vary by industry, but include all employers with 10 or more employees) receive a census form. A sample of small employers also receive a census form and are selected using a stratified sample based on industry and geography. Basic data for non-selected small employers and taxable non-employers are obtained from federal administrative records. Estimates for industry-specific data are based partly on small employer sample results. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: those that sell goods on their own account and those that arrange sales and purchases for others for a commission or fee. Use of these data requires Internal Revenue Service (IRS) approval. The Census Bureau will coordinate all additional necessary reviews.