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1930 Census of Distribution: Wholesale Distribution (Trade Series)

A series of trade reports from the Census of Distribution taken in 1930, covering the year 1929. To be included in this study, an establishment must make more than 50 percent of their sales at wholesale. Wholesale peddlers and others who maintained no place of business were not included in this census.

A wholesale establishment may be a store which sells chiefly to retailers, institutional or industrial consumers, but not to the public; a wholesaling warehouse, on office, or part of an office, as when the office is shared with similar establishments. A separate report was required for each establishment, regardless of whether or not it was owned or operated as part of a larger business organization.

These six pamphlets show details for individual wholesale distribution industries and include descriptions of the channels of distribution used by manufacturers, the flow of the commodities through wholesale outlets, summary of the particular trade, location of wholesale establishments, analysis of sales in the trade, operating expenses, size of establishments, size of sales territory, and other Census of Distribution data relating to the particular wholesale trade.

Groceries and Food Specialties

(1933)

Distribution No. W-205

This is one of a series of trade reports from the Census of Distribution taken in 1930, covering the year 1929. To be included in this study, an establishment must make more than 50 percent of their sales at wholesale. Wholesale peddlers and others who maintained no place of business were not included in this census.

A wholesale establishment may be a store which sells chiefly to retailers, institutional or industrial consumers, but not to the public; a wholesaling warehouse, on office, or part of an office, as when the office is shared with similar establishments. A separate report was required for each establishment, regardless of whether or not it was owned or operated as part of a larger business organization.

The main part of the report is devoted to an analysis of the wholesale establishments engaged in marketing groceries. A brief summary of grocery retailing concludes the report.


Motion Picture Films

(1932)

Distribution No. W-201

This is one of a series of trade reports from the Census of Distribution taken in 1930.

The motion-picture industry is one of the 326 industries into which manufacturing and producing establishments have been divided by the census of manufactures. The industry is said to have a capital investment around two billion dollars but produces only .26 per cent of the total volume of goods manufactured in the United States.

Radio Sets, Parts and Accessories

(1932)

Distribution No. W-202

This is one of a series of trade bulletins presenting the findings of the first Census of Wholesale Distribution. The statistics were collected in 1930 and cover the wholesale operations of the year 1929. There is first a brief discussion of the scope of the radio industry drawing upon statistics prepared by the Census of Population and the Census of Manufactures. The sales channels through which the goods flow, as they leave the manufacturing plants, are next examined. The main part of the bulletin is devoted to an analysis of the wholesale establishments engaged in marketing radio sets, parts, and accessories.

Wholesale Electrical Trade

(1933)

Distribution No. W-206

This is one of a series of trade bulletins presenting the findings of the first Census of Wholesale Distribution. The statistics were collected in 1930 and cover the wholesale operations of the year 1929. In the first part of this report an attempt is made to present a brief discussion of the scope of the electrical industry from the standpoint of production, drawing for the purpose upon the statistics compiled by the Census of Manufactures. Next follows an examination of the sales channels through which the goods flow, as they leave the manufacturing plants, based upon data compiled by the industrial goods section of the Census of Distribution.  The main body of the report is devoted to an analysis of the wholesale establishments engaged in the distribution of electrical goods as revealed by the census of Wholesale Distribution.

The Wholesale Hardware Trade

(1933)

Distribution No. W-203

In an attempt to determine the amount of hardware produced in the United States for sale one is immediately confronted with the question, What is hardware? A certain amount of overlapping may be found in all lines of trade. In the same plant are frequently manufactured products belonging to entirely different categories. Items quite dissimilar in character are often sold through a given wholesale or retail establishment.

In the hardware trade the lines of merchandise that might rightfully be classified as hardware have never been clearly defined. It became necessary, therefore, for the purposes of this report, to draw some lines of demarcation, perhaps arbitrarily at times, in order to delimit the field. In doing this, attention was given to what is generally recognized as hardware by the public and in the trade, to the extent to which the item involved is being distributed through hardware wholesalers and retailers, and to a number of other factors.

Wholesale Trade in Paints and Varnishes

(1932)

Distribution No. W-204

The paint and varnish industry consists of “establishments engaged primarily in the manufacture of pigments or colors (other than bone black, carbon black, and lampblack), paints in paste form, paints mixed ready for use, varnishes, lacquers, japans, enamels, fillers, stains, etc.”

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A Note on Language

Census statistics date back to 1790 and reflect the growth and change of the United States. Past census reports contain some terms that today’s readers may consider obsolete and inappropriate. As part of our goal to be open and transparent with the public, we are improving access to all Census Bureau original publications and statistics, which serve as a guide to the nation's history.

Page Last Revised - October 8, 2021
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