Other Miscellaneous Retailers

Businesses and organizations in the Other Miscellaneous Retailers industry (NAICS code 4539, part of the Retail Trade sector) received 168,000 PPP loans totaling $5.97B during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average loan for this industry was $35,556 — 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.

88.4% of loans in this industry were forgiven — totaling $5.52B. 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 CHRISTOPHER & BANKS CORPORATION of MINNEAPOLIS, MN ($10,000,000); NATIONAL TOBACCO COMPANY LP of LOUISVILLE, KY ($7,485,000); and 4 RIVERS EQUIPMENT LLC of GREELEY, CO ($6,747,000).

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 4539 were particularly reliant on PPP assistance to bridge the gap between declining revenues and fixed overhead obligations during the shutdown period.