Industry Information Resource Guide: Websites

Includes retail, food services, and e-commerce.

Includes sales, inventories, and operating expenses of merchant wholesalers.

Data from the Service Annual Surveys, covering areas such as Information Sector Services, Rental and Leasing, and Health Care and Social Assistance.

This U.S. Census Bureau Internet site is "devoted exclusively to 'Measuring the Electronic Economy.'"

The Economic Census (done every five years) is a state-by-state overview of American industry statistics. Data from the 2007 census is available, and the 2012 Economic Census figures are being released in stages.

These programs "cover most of the country's economic activity," and the series are "useful for studying the economic activity of small areas; analyzing economic changes over time; and as a benchmark for statistical series, surveys, and databases between economic censuses. Businesses use the data for analyzing market potential, measuring the effectiveness of sales and advertising programs, setting sales quotas, and developing budgets."

A directory to all of the Census Bureau's economic programs, including the Economic Census, Minority- and Women-Owned Business, multi-sector data such as E-Commerce Statistics, and sector-specific data such as Transportation.

The BEA (Bureau of Economic Analysis) Industry Economic Accounts "show how industries provide input to, and use output from, each other to produce gross domestic product. These accounts provide detailed information on the flows of the goods and services that make up the production processes of industries." In addition to the Input-Output (I-O) Accounts, this site also includes reports on Gross Domestic Product by industry, travel and tourism, and transportation.

Although most of these reports relate to U.S. trade, some also relate to industries, such as Olive Oil: Conditions of Competition between U.S. and Major Foreign Supplier Industries.

Mixed in with other reports, the USITC has posted summaries for a limited number of industries, however these reports can be quite specific, such as the one about mushrooms.

The Biotechnology Industry Organization's website provides reports on the industry's background, trends, and best practices. (Some sections may require membership.)

"The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) conducts programs in research, education, industry relations and public affairs on behalf of its 2,300 member companies - food retailers and wholesalers - in the United States and around the world." Although most of the content on its website requires membership, there is a some useful and freely available information listed under Industry Topics.

Part of the National Restaurant Association website. Free content includes the Facts at a Glance and state-by-state statistics.

"The State Data Center (SDC)’s mission is to support access to all U.S. Census Bureau data and information for Massachusetts residents and organizations. The SDC is the official local source of demographic, economic and social statistics produced by the U.S. Census Bureau."

"A program of the Economic and Public Policy Research Group at the UMass Donahue Institute
in collaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston."