Productivity trends in two retail trade industries, 1987-95

Monthly Labor Review

Volumn 120, Issue 7, 1997, Pages 35-39

  Dumas, Mark W ^a  

^a NONE

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EID: 0040338058     PISSN: 00981818     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: None     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. The miscellaneous general merchandise stores industry is designated by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget as sic 539 in the Standard Industrial Classification Manual: 1987. The catalog and mail-order houses industry is designated as sic 5961 in the same publication. Complete definitions for each of the industries are contained in the body of this article.
2. The Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) is the statistical classification standard underlying all establishment-based Federal economic statistics classified by industry. The SIC is used to promote the comparability of establishment data describing various facets of the U.S. economy. The classification covers the entire field of economic activities and defines industries in accordance with the composition and structure of the economy. It is revised periodically to reflect the economy's changing industrial organization. For more information on the SIC system, see the Standard Industrial Classification Manual: 1987 (Office of Management and Budget, 1987).
3. Output per hour is the traditional measure of productivity. Indexes of output per hour measure the changes in the relationship between output and the hours expended in producing that output. To calculate a labor productivity index, an index of industry output is divided by an index of hours. BLS productivity and related indexes are updated and published annually in the BLS publication, Productivity Measures for Selected Industries. A technical note describing the methods used to develop the indexes is available from the Office of Productivity and Technology, Division of Industry Productivity Studies. Also see BLS Handbook of Methods, Bulletin 2490 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997), ch. 11, "Industry Productivity Measures," pp. 103-9.
4. Output per hour is the traditional measure of productivity. Indexes of output per hour measure the changes in the relationship between output and the hours expended in producing that output. To calculate a labor productivity index, an index of industry output is divided by an index of hours. BLS productivity and related indexes are updated and published annually in the BLS publication, Productivity Measures for Selected Industries. A technical note describing the methods used to develop the indexes is available from the Office of Productivity and Technology, Division of Industry Productivity Studies. Also see BLS Handbook of Methods, Bulletin 2490 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997), ch. 11, "Industry Productivity Measures," pp. 103-9.
5. All average annual rates of change pertaining to these industries and mentioned in the text or in tables are based on the compound interest method of computation.
6. Industry output indexes are developed from data collected by the Bureau of the Census and other sources. For trade industries, the indexes are computed from sales data reported in the Census of Retail Trade. Real output in a retail trade industry is calculated by deflating annual total sales for the industry using the appropriate Consumer Price Indexes for each category of merchandise sold by the industry. For a more detailed explanation, see BLS Handbook of Methods, Bulleun 2490 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1997), ch. 11, "Industry Productivity Measures," pp. 104-5.
7. See David S. Hilzenrath, "AT&T Adds On-Line Card Protection," The Washington Post, Oct. 9, 1996, p. B13; and "Marketing in the Interactive Age" (New York, Direct Marketing Association, 1996).
8. See David S. Hilzenrath, "AT&T Adds On-Line Card Protection," The Washington Post, Oct. 9, 1996, p. B13; and "Marketing in the Interactive Age" (New York, Direct Marketing Association, 1996).
9. See Jay L. Johnson, "Service Merchandise: A Survivor's Strategy," Discount Merchandiser, April 1993, p. 29; Jennifer Pellet, "Staying True to A $3 Billion Concept," Discount Merchandiser, March 1990, pp. 35-38; Rudolph A. Pyatt Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and "The Success of Service Merchandise," Direct Marketing, August 1992, pp. 43-44.
10. See Jay L. Johnson, "Service Merchandise: A Survivor's Strategy," Discount Merchandiser, April 1993, p. 29; Jennifer Pellet, "Staying True to A $3 Billion Concept," Discount Merchandiser, March 1990, pp. 35-38; Rudolph A. Pyatt Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and "The Success of Service Merchandise," Direct Marketing, August 1992, pp. 43-44.
11. See Jay L. Johnson, "Service Merchandise: A Survivor's Strategy," Discount Merchandiser, April 1993, p. 29; Jennifer Pellet, "Staying True to A $3 Billion Concept," Discount Merchandiser, March 1990, pp. 35-38; Rudolph A. Pyatt Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and "The Success of Service Merchandise," Direct Marketing, August 1992, pp. 43-44.
12. See Jay L. Johnson, "Service Merchandise: A Survivor's Strategy," Discount Merchandiser, April 1993, p. 29; Jennifer Pellet, "Staying True to A $3 Billion Concept," Discount Merchandiser, March 1990, pp. 35-38; Rudolph A. Pyatt Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and "The Success of Service Merchandise," Direct Marketing, August 1992, pp. 43-44.
13. See "The True Look," Discount Merchandiser, June 1990, p. 61; Industry definition, establishment count, and sales data are available from the 1992 Census of Retail Trade (Bureau of the Census).
14. See "The True Look," Discount Merchandiser, June 1990, p. 61; Industry definition, establishment count, and sales data are available from the 1992 Census of Retail Trade (Bureau of the Census).
15. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium," The Washington Post, Business, Nov. 6, 1995, p. 17; Margaret Webb Pressler, "A Catalog of Ills," The Washington Post, July 14, 1995, p. B2; James Walsh, "Retailing," 1994 U.S. Industrial Outlook (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1994), p. 39-4; and Sharon Walsh, "Catalogue Retailer Seeks Protection From Creditors," The Washington Post, Feb. 9, 1991, p. C1.
16. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium," The Washington Post, Business, Nov. 6, 1995, p. 17; Margaret Webb Pressler, "A Catalog of Ills," The Washington Post, July 14, 1995, p. B2; James Walsh, "Retailing," 1994 U.S. Industrial Outlook (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1994), p. 39-4; and Sharon Walsh, "Catalogue Retailer Seeks Protection From Creditors," The Washington Post, Feb. 9, 1991, p. C1.
17. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium," The Washington Post, Business, Nov. 6, 1995, p. 17; Margaret Webb Pressler, "A Catalog of Ills," The Washington Post, July 14, 1995, p. B2; James Walsh, "Retailing," 1994 U.S. Industrial Outlook (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1994), p. 39-4; and Sharon Walsh, "Catalogue Retailer Seeks Protection From Creditors," The Washington Post, Feb. 9, 1991, p. C1.
18. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium," The Washington Post, Business, Nov. 6, 1995, p. 17; Margaret Webb Pressler, "A Catalog of Ills," The Washington Post, July 14, 1995, p. B2; James Walsh, "Retailing," 1994 U.S. Industrial Outlook (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1994), p. 39-4; and Sharon Walsh, "Catalogue Retailer Seeks Protection From Creditors," The Washington Post, Feb. 9, 1991, p. C1.
19. Industry employment data in this article differ somewhat from figures published by the BLS Current Employment Statistics (CES) program. The Office of Productivity and Technology (OPT) computes its own employment series for productivity measurement, in which data on the self-employed and unpaid family workers from the Current Population Survey (CPS) are added to data on payroll employment from the CES program. For more information on this topic, see BLS Handbook of Methods, pp. 103-9.
20. Data for self-employed and unpaid family workers are obtained from the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly sample survey of about 50,000 households conducted by the Bureau of the Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data for supervisory and nonsupervisory employment are obtained from the Current Employment Statistics (CES) survey. The CES collects data from a sample of nonfarm establishments consisting of over 390,000 reporting units.
21. Margaret Webb Pressler and Steven Pearlstein, "Growing Out of Business," The Washington Post, Feb. 22, 1996, p. A8.
22. 1994 U.S. Industrial Outlook, 1994, p. 39-4.
23. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Changing the Order of Business," The Washington Post, Mar. 13, 1996, p. C1; Rudolph A. Pyatt, Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and David Segal, "Best Products Files for Bankruptcy Protection," The Washington Post, Sept. 25, 1996, p. F1.
24. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Changing the Order of Business," The Washington Post, Mar. 13, 1996, p. C1; Rudolph A. Pyatt, Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and David Segal, "Best Products Files for Bankruptcy Protection," The Washington Post, Sept. 25, 1996, p. F1.
25. See Margaret Webb Pressler, "Changing the Order of Business," The Washington Post, Mar. 13, 1996, p. C1; Rudolph A. Pyatt, Jr., "Turning a Page on Catalog Showrooms," The Washington Post, Business, Jan. 14, 1991, p. 3; and David Segal, "Best Products Files for Bankruptcy Protection," The Washington Post, Sept. 25, 1996, p. F1.
26. See Laura Christiana-Beaudry, "Who Buys & Why," Catalog Age, July 1996; Margaret Webb Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way," The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 1996, p. D1; and Pressler and Pearlstein, "Growing Out of Business."
27. See Laura Christiana-Beaudry, "Who Buys & Why," Catalog Age, July 1996; Margaret Webb Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way," The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 1996, p. D1; and Pressler and Pearlstein, "Growing Out of Business."
28. See Laura Christiana-Beaudry, "Who Buys & Why," Catalog Age, July 1996; Margaret Webb Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way," The Washington Post, Nov. 23, 1996, p. D1; and Pressler and Pearlstein, "Growing Out of Business."
29. See Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way"; Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium"; Pressler, "A Catalogue of Ills"; and DMA Study Reveals Direct Marketing Practices & Trends (Direct Marketing Association, June 1996).
30. See Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way"; Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium"; Pressler, "A Catalogue of Ills"; and DMA Study Reveals Direct Marketing Practices & Trends (Direct Marketing Association, June 1996).
31. See Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way"; Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium"; Pressler, "A Catalogue of Ills"; and DMA Study Reveals Direct Marketing Practices & Trends (Direct Marketing Association, June 1996).
32. See Pressler, "The Lillian Vernon Way"; Pressler, "Discovery Channels Its Energy Into Another Market and Medium"; Pressler, "A Catalogue of Ills"; and DMA Study Reveals Direct Marketing Practices & Trends (Direct Marketing Association, June 1996).
33. "Marketing In the Interactive Age" (New York, Direct Marketing Association, 1996).