Sector Dashboard - Retail

Retail involves the direct sale of goods to consumers within food and beverage outlets, including online e-commerce platforms. Constituting 21% of city food economy jobs and 25% of regional food economy jobs, retail is one of the largest sources food-related employment in the Philadelphia area. It is also a driver of growth in the city and region, adding over a thousand jobs annually over the past decade. However, regionally it is projected to lose jobs in the next five years, and this sector sees some of the lowest wages across the food economy.

*Projected job growth for the metro area is calculated at the state level.

Retail occupations typically pay lower mean wages than jobs in other food economy sectors and has lower entry-level educational requirements. Retail also supports occupations that may not be immediately thought of as food-related, such as floral designers.

Employment in the food retail sector is dominated by supermarkets, though this industry has lost jobs between 2012 and 2017. Convenience stores have added the most jobs during this period, particularly at the regional level. Fruit and vegetable markets pay marginally higher wages than their retail counterparts.

Highest Wages = Green; Most Jobs Added = Red; Most Employees = Blue

Retail has high concentrations in proximity to commercial and residential areas, like West Philadelphia, Northeast Philadelphia, and South Philadelphia. The concentration of retail establishments in the Northeast and Northwest, appear to have lower connectivity to rail network, potentially posing accessibility issues for patrons or employees without car access. This map does not distinguish between types of retail establishments, a point which can be explored in the future.