Used Merchandise Retailers

Businesses and organizations in the Used Merchandise Retailers industry (NAICS code 4533, part of the Retail Trade sector) received 12,152 PPP loans totaling $577.3M during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average loan for this industry was $47,509 — below the national PPP average of approximately $67,000. This reflects the small business character of most participants in this industry, typically sole proprietors and micro-businesses with modest payroll obligations.

95.1% of loans in this industry were forgiven — totaling $567.6M. To qualify for forgiveness, borrowers had to demonstrate that they maintained headcount and compensation levels and used at least 60% of loan proceeds for payroll expenses.

Notable recipients in this industry include GOODWILL OF COLORADO of COLORADO SPRINGS, CO ($10,000,000); GOODWILL INDUSTRIES OF ORANGE COUNTY CA of SANTA ANA, CA ($10,000,000); and ARC THRIFT STORES of LAKEWOOD, CO ($9,347,624).

The loan amount distribution for this industry shows a more even spread across loan sizes, suggesting a mix of small and mid-sized businesses. Because borrower names are withheld for loans under $150,000, a substantial portion of recipients in this industry may not appear by name in this dataset.

As part of the broader Retail Trade sector — sporting goods, hobby, book, music, general merchandise, and nonstore retailers. — businesses in NAICS 4533 were particularly reliant on PPP assistance to bridge the gap between declining revenues and fixed overhead obligations during the shutdown period.