Grocery and specialty food retailers
NAICS Code: 4450A1
BLS projects Grocery and specialty food retailers to contract -1.0% through 2034 - 3.4 points slower than the 2.4% average across 291 U.S. industries, faster-growing than 26% of them. Its trajectory is close to the typical U.S. industry.
Where Grocery and specialty food retailers sits among all industries
Projected 2024-2034 growth across 291 U.S. industries (BLS). This industry is marked in rose.
Where Grocery and specialty food retailers sits by projected growth
Projected employment change across tracked industries
-1% Top 74% higher than 26% of 291 industries
Industries, banded by projected growth
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more industries. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source BLS Employment Projections · 2026-05-15
Contraction read
Signature: 45.5% mean employer AI exposure across 4 tracked public companies .
Projected decline plus a mid-sized public-company sample argues for checking adjacent occupations before treating any single firm grade as destiny.
NAICS 4450A1 · 3,052,400 workers (2024, ×1k) · source BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034. Employer AI grades are occupation-weighted scores from our SEC cohort, not automation predictions for every establishment in Grocery and specialty food retailers.
Public companies near this industry
SEC industry labels matching tokens from Grocery and specialty food retailers. 4 companies scored · mean AI exposure 45.5%.
| Company | AI grade |
|---|---|
| Albertsons Companies, Inc. | C |
| Bbb Foods Inc | C |
| Kroger Co | C |
| Sprouts Farmers Market, Inc. | C |
Grades are occupation-weighted AI exposure from our employer corpus - not a claim that every establishment in Grocery and specialty food retailers shares the same risk. Source: SEC company metadata + O*NET-weighted scores · as of 2026-05-15.
Peer Industries by Employment
How Grocery and specialty food retailers (NAICS 4450A1) compares to industries of similar size, ordered by 2024 BLS employment.
| Industry | 2024 | Growth |
|---|---|---|
| General merchandise retailers | 3,265,500 | +2.3% |
| Grocery and specialty food retailers | 3,052,400 | -1.0% |
| Offices of physicians | 2,975,400 | +6.9% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 2,617,100 | +4.4% |
| Temporary help services | 2,612,100 | -2.1% |
| Services for the elderly and persons with disabilities | 2,512,300 | +21.0% |
Peers are selected by similarity in 2024 employment. Figures in thousands. Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many people work in Grocery and specialty food retailers?
As of 2024, the Grocery and specialty food retailers industry employs approximately 3,052,400 workers in the United States, according to BLS Employment Projections data.
Is Grocery and specialty food retailers growing or declining?
The Grocery and specialty food retailers industry is projected to decline by 1.0% from 2024 to 2034, a net change of -30,800 jobs over the decade.
Which public companies sit near Grocery and specialty food retailers?
4 tracked public companies whose SEC industry label matches Grocery and specialty food retailers. Sample names include Albertsons Companies, Inc., Bbb Foods Inc, Kroger Co. Grades are occupation-weighted AI exposure scores, not company-specific automation forecasts.
How will AI affect the Grocery and specialty food retailers industry?
Among 4 tracked public companies tied to this industry's sector, the mean occupation-weighted AI exposure score is 45.5% (most common grade C). That is a staffing-pattern signal from our employer corpus, not a forecast for every firm in Grocery and specialty food retailers. Pair it with occupation-level AI exposure scores for role-specific risk.
Where to look next under contraction
What to do with this
Use Grocery and specialty food retailers' employment and exposure numbers above to look up individual employers and occupations, not just the industry aggregate.
- See how public employers in this and other industries rank nationwide by AI displacement risk. Employer AI risk rankings
- Browse individual occupations to see exposure and wage detail below the industry level. Browse all occupations
- Compare this industry's outlook against a specific occupation or employer using the interactive tool. Workforce comparison tool
Industry-level figures are aggregates; individual employer and occupation outcomes vary.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections 2024-2034; SEC employer metadata for AI grades Employment figures in thousands. Employer grades are occupation-weighted exposure scores, not firm automation forecasts