Industry Information

This research guide is intended as a starting point for industry research, U.S. and International. It lists books, databases and Websites that contain information on industry overviews, market share and rankings, ratios, statistics, news and trade associations, as well as specific resources for the manufacturing, retail and service sector. For more information on international industries, see the International Business research guide. For a list of directories organized by industry see Career Guide: Industry Directories.

Industry Classifications

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is used by U.S. statistical agencies to facilitate the collection, tabulation, presentation, and analysis of data relating to economic establishments by sector and industry. The websites below can help you identify your industry by NAICS code, and the older SIC code.

Industry Statistics Sampler
http://www.census.gov/econ/census02/
The Industry Statistics Sampler, on the right hand column of the U.S. Economic Census, allows you to search related industries and NAICS code by keyword.

U.S. Census NAICS-SIC Correspondence Tables
http://www.census.gov/epcd/www/naicstab.htm
Find your NAICS code, and you will find the corresponding SIC code.

Quick Conversion Table SIC 1987-NAICS 1997
http://www.census.gov/epcd/naics/naicstb2.txt
Convert SIC to NAICS code.

Print versions of the SIC and NAICS codes are available at the Reference Desk
and Industry Table (Table 2) of Pardee Library:

Standard Industrial Classification Manual (SIC)
Pardee Reference X HF 1042 A55 1987  (Copies at Reference Desk and Table 1)
This is the statistical classification standard underlying Federal economic statistics. Classified by industry, this code is used to facilitate analysis of data covering the entire field of economic activities. A searchable version of this manual is available at http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/sicser.html.

North American Industry Classification System: United States (NAICS)
Pardee Reference X HF 1042 A55 1998  (Copies at Reference Desk and Index Table 1)
Replaces the 1987 U.S. Standard Industrial Classification system (SIC) and the separate classification systems for Canada and Mexico. Provides common industry definitions for the United States, Canada, and Mexico, and includes tables showing correspondence between the 1997 NAICS and the 1987 SIC. A web version is available at http://www.census.gov/ftp/pub/epcd/www/naics.html.

Business Source Complete [About]
Contains one or two year old industry reports from Datamonitor and DRI-WEFA. For reports, type industry name in subject field (SU), and limit results by "industry report" in "publication type" menu on lower part of first screen.
       1. Datamonitor Industry Profiles -
Resource for global market information, identifies market size, competitive landscape and forecasts data for  market performance.
       2. DRI-WEFA -
Industry yearbooks include 2 page forecasts on major industry sectors, mostly U.S.

Encyclopedia of American Industries
Comprehensive information on manufacturing and service industries. Each entry includes an industry snapshot, organizational structure, industry leaders, work force, research and more. Search by SIC (Standard Industrial Classification) code or TEXT search on drop down menu labled keyword.
      
Hoover's Industry Snapshots
LexisNexis [About]
Industry Snapshots include one sentence descriptions and links for terminology, associations and organizations, and selected resources. Some reports include detailed overviews including key players and company rankings. Reports can be found in "Company Profiles" on the Business Search Form of Lexis-Nexis. For a complete list of reports, choose "Hoover Company Reports" on the "Source" field drop down menu. Enter "Industry Snapshots" in the space next to "Narrow Search", and type industry name in "Focus" field on top of next page.

USATrade
http://www.export.gov/cntryind.html
Click on Market Research to find industry sector analysis and market research organized by country and industry. Offers market information on specific industries that can help determine market potential, market size, and competitors. Must log-in to retrieve information.

For list of industry overviews organized alphabetically by Industry, see Industry Survey Locator.  See also, Investment Surveys and Reports and Industry News in this guide.

Industry News

Factiva [About] Works best with Firefox.
Provides articles from vast numbers of newspapers and trade publications.
Click on +"Source" and use drop down menu to find "Publications - By Industry".

ABI/INFORM Global [About]
Covers over 1,500 publications including general business magazines, academic management journals, economic reviews and leading industry-specific trade journals. Full text is available for over 600 of these publications.

Business Source Complete [About]
Indexes abstracts and provides full text of business publications, scholarly publications and peer-reviewed journals. It covers over 8,000 journals with full text for over 4,000 of these titles.

CEO Express
http://www.ceoexpress.com
Links to daily newspapers, business newspapers and magazines, international newspaper and newsfeeds, as well as stock quotes and company information. See the tool bar on top for Biz Research and Industries.

PR Newswire
http://www.prnewswire.com
Press releases covering six industries (automotive, entertainment, healthcare/biotech, technology, financial, and energy). Includes relevant news links for each industry.

TableBase [About]
Statistical data on companies, products, industries, markets, demographics and countries. Tabular data is drawn from statistical annuals, trade association reports, government agencies, international organizations, newsletters and journals. Please note: When you are through using TableBase, please click on the LOGOUT button at the very top of the TableBase home page before closing your browser.

Rankings

Forbes. 500s Annual Directory. 2nd April issue
(Located in Current Periodicals, third floor); also available online: http://www.forbes.com/tool/toolbox/forbes500s/
Ranking of companies by sales, market value, assets, and profits. Online version lists largest companies within industries.

Fortune. Fortune 500. annual, 2nd April issue
 (Located in Current Periodicals, third floor); also available online: http://www.pathfinder.com/fortune/fortune500/
Ranking of companies by revenue, profits, and returns. Ranks 1,000 companies withing 62 industry groups.The "Global 500" is available at: http://www.pathfinder.com/fortune/global500/index.html.

Business Rankings Annual
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HG 4050 B88  (Table 1)
Ranked lists of companies, products, services, and activities. An "outline of contents" is provided.

Market Share Reporter
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HF 5415.2 M37  (Table 1)
An annual compilation of reported market share data on companies, products, and services. Organized by SIC code.

Mergent's Industry Review
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HG 4905 M88  (Table 1)
Comparative company statistics for 137 industry groups. All companies are ranked by financial and operating data.

Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HG 4057 A575  (Table 1)
Publicly and privately held companies listed by industry and ranked by sales within SIC and NAICS.

Financial and Operating Ratios

Almanac of Business and Industrial Financial Ratios
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HF 5681 R25 T68  (Older issues on Table 1)
Financial ratios for over 170 lines of business. Organized by NAICS code. Source of data is U.S. Federal tax returns.

Financial Studies of the Small Business
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HD2346 .U5 F55a (Older issues on Table 1)

Industry Norms and Key Business Ratios
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HD 2771 I53  (Older issues on Table 1)
Published annually by Dun & Bradstreet. Financial ratios for over 600 lines of business. Organized by SIC code. Data is provided by D&B's financial information sources.

IRS Corporate Financial Ratios
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HF 5681 R25 I72

RMA Annual Statement Studies Pardee Reference
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HC 110 I6 F57 (Older issues on Table 1)
Published annually by Robert Morris Associates. Financial and operating ratios for approximately 300 lines of business. Data is provided by RMA's lending and credit institutions.

Mergent Online [About] Works best with Internet Explorer.
To create comparison reports within an industry, do basic company search and  find "Comparison Reports" under "Create Reports" tab. On "Comparison Reporting Selection Screen" select either U.S. or Worldwide (1.),  "all companies" (2.), and "Use extended report items". From  "Report item selection" (3.) select "Ratios" from "Category" drop down menu, and with every selection from "Sub-Category" list, click on "Add Report Item" tab. Items should appear in "Report Criteria" Box. Remember to click box on lower left hand corner ("Include average in heading") in order to get industry averages. Select years and create report. Multiple years can be selected by left clicking on mouse.

Manufacturing Industries

Bizstats.com
http://www.bizstats.com
Financial ratios, business statistics and benchmarks.

Economic Census - Manufacturing Sector
http://www.census.gov/www.ma0100.html
The U.S. Census bureau provides periodic and comprehensive statistics about manufacturing establishments, activities and production. Includes Annual Survey of Manufactures and Industrial Products Overview.

Manufacturing & Distribution USA
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HD 9723 M365  (Table 1)
Provides statistics on more than 450 U.S. manufacturing industries, including detailed industry profiles and graphics. Information is arranged by SIC code. Major company listings are provided for each industry.

Retail/Service/Wholesale Industries

U.S. Census - Retail & Wholesale Trade
http://www.census.gov/econ/www/retmenu.html
U.S. Census statistics include advance monthly sales for retail and food services, monthly retail sales & inventories, annual retail trade survey and monthly and annual wholesale trade surveys.

American Wholesalers and Distributors Directory
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HF 5421 A615  (Table 1)
A directory containing information on approximately 28,000 wholesalers and distributors in the U.S.

Plunkett's Retail Industry Almanac
Pardee Reference - Industry Information
X HF 5429.3 P57
Data and areas of interest range from the many aspects of the retail industry, to occupations and careers, emerging technology, and in-depth look at 400 of the largest, most successfull corporations in all segments of the American Retail industry.

Standard & Poor's Industry Surveys
Pardee Reference - Reference Desk
X HG 4501 S74
Standard and Poor's provides a good overview of the retailing industry in two surveys - "Retailing: General" and "Retailing: Specialty". Both include information on current environment, industry profile, and comparative company analysis.

Books

Boston University Library Catalog
To find a book on a particular industry use the subject search, type in the name of industry (ie: Automobile Industry, Wine), and limit your search to the Pardee Library and sort by year.

The following two books supply some hard to find information on small service industries, and can be found on the Industry Information Table in Pardee Library (see Small Business):

Generation Inc. The 100 Best Businesses for Young Entrepreneurs
Pardee Reference-Career Resources
X HD 62.5 F87 2000
Describes 100 types of "fun and lucrative" businesses, including gross annual income, start up costs, associations, trade publications, and marketing advice. Includes several chapters on starting a business.

Small Business Profiles: a Guide to Today's Top Opportunities for Entrepreneurs
Pardee Reference-Career Resources
X HD 62.7 S62 1995
Concise information for starting a small business, organized by business, for over one hundred types of businesses; costs and expected profits, financing, marketing and advertising, obtaining licenses, and deciding on insurance needs.

 

Websites

Selected Industry Websites
List of association, government, and research institute websites available from the IndustrySurvey Locator. Some of these websites have industry statistics and reports.

Answers.com
http://www.answers.com/library/US%20Industry%20Profile
US Industry Profiles includes Tompson Gale's 2005 Encyclopedia of American Industries.

Polson Enterprises
http:www.virtualpet.com/rtools.htm
Two relevant links include "How to Learn About an Industry or a Specific Company" and "Industry Portals". Industry portals link to sites covering specific industries.

Reuters Investor
http://forbes.investor.reuters.com
Click "Industries" on blue toolbar to find information on sectors and industries. Industry highlights include company rankings, key developments and news, statistics and stock performances.