--- title: "Specialty Retail Industry: Companies" description: "17 SEC filers are classified under the Standard Industrial Classification codes that describe the specialty retail industry." canonical: https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/specialty-retail/ source: "Swoopr Investment: https://www.getswoopr.com" --- # Specialty Retail Industry ## Direct Answer 17 SEC filers are classified under the Standard Industrial Classification codes that describe the specialty retail industry, and their latest annual reports show $55.2 billion of combined revenue and a median operating margin of -1.7%. Investors should still evaluate its revenue model, industry-specific KPIs, valuation framework and the risks that can change the group's economics. ## Industry Overview Specialty retailers sell a focused product category such as apparel, electronics, home improvement, pets or sporting goods through stores and online. Merchandise mix, brand identity and inventory control determine results. The first numbers to compare across companies here are comparable sales, gross margin and inventory turns. ## Key Industry Metrics - **Comparable sales**: Sales growth at stores and online open at least a year. It shows demand in the retailer's category without the effect of openings. - **Gross margin**: Share of sales left after merchandise cost. Product mix, brand access and promotions drive it, and discounting to clear stock lowers it. - **Inventory turns**: How often stock is sold and replaced in a year. Slower turns signal markdown risk, and focused assortments depend on keeping them fresh. - **E-commerce share**: Share of revenue from online orders. A rising share shows changing customer habits, but may carry shipping and return costs. - **Operating margin**: Profit after rent, wages and marketing as a share of sales. Store costs are largely fixed, so traffic changes move it strongly. ## Primary Macro Drivers - **Consumer spending**: Shoppers' budgets set traffic and ticket in discretionary categories, moving comparable sales. - **Category trends**: Trends in a focused category change which products sell, so mix and comparable sales shift. - **Promotions**: Sales events draw traffic but cut gross margin, so margin and sales often move in opposite directions. - **Real estate and labor costs**: Rent and wages are fixed costs of stores, so their changes affect operating margin. ## Major Risks - **Online competition**: Web sellers offer wide selection and price comparison, drawing traffic from stores. - **Markdowns**: Unsold goods must be discounted, lowering gross margin; watch inventory turns and markdown commentary. - **Wage and rent pressure**: Wage increases and rent resets raise costs faster than sales in weak periods, squeezing operating margin. - **Fashion or product cycle risk**: A fashion or product cycle shift can leave stock unsellable; watch inventory growth relative to sales. ## Industry Characteristics | Characteristic | Profile | | --- | --- | | Cyclicality | Cyclical | | Capital Intensity | Medium | | Regulatory Intensity | Low | | Industry Maturity | Mature | | Geographic Importance | U.S. | ## Specialty Retail Filers in the SEC Record 17 companies with annual reports in the dataset are classified by the SEC in the Standard Industrial Classification codes 5900, 5940, 5945, 5990. Their latest fiscal years end between 2025 and 2026, and together they reported $55.2 billion of revenue. Median revenue growth over the prior year was 4.1%. Median operating margin was -1.7% and median net margin 1.0%. Median total liabilities were 77% of total assets, and 10 of 17 reported a profit in their latest year. | Company | Revenue | Growth | Operating margin | Net margin | Year | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Dick's Sporting Goods, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/dicks-sporting-goods-inc/) | $17.2 billion | 28.1% | 6.4% | 4.9% | FY 2026 | | [Ulta Beauty, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/ulta-beauty/) | $12.4 billion | 9.7% | 12.4% | 9.3% | FY 2026 | | [Bath & Body Works, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/bath-and-body-works-inc/) | $7.3 billion | -0.2% | 15.4% | 8.9% | FY 2026 | | [Petco Health & Wellness Company, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/petco-health-and-wellness-company-inc/) | $6.0 billion | -2.5% | 2.0% | 0.2% | FY 2026 | | [Titan Machinery Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/titan-machinery-inc/) | $2.4 billion | -10.2% | -0.3% | -2.2% | FY 2026 | | [Barnes & Noble Education, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/barnes-and-noble-education-inc/) | $1.7 billion | 6.5% | 2.1% | 1.0% | FY 2026 | | [Savers Value Village, Inc.](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/savers-value-village-inc/) | $1.7 billion | 9.2% | 7.4% | 1.3% | FY 2026 | | [1 800 Flowers Com Inc](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/1-800-flowers-com-inc/) | $1.5 billion | -10.8% | -8.5% | -9.0% | FY 2026 | The 8 largest of 17 by revenue. Source: each company's own annual report as filed with the SEC (XBRL data), figures in U.S. dollars. A company's SIC code reflects its main business as the SEC records it, so it can differ from how an index provider or analyst classifies the company, and a diversified group appears under only one code. ## Where to Go Next The Specialty Retail guide describes how the industry earns money, what to measure and what can go wrong. To see how it compares, read the neighbouring industries in the same sector, then apply the same checks to a specific company. ### More in Consumer Discretionary - [Consumer Discretionary sector overview](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/) - [Sporting Goods Manufacturing](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/sporting-goods-manufacturing/) - [Smart Home Devices](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/smart-home-devices/) - [Sporting Goods Retail](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/sporting-goods-retail/) - [Restaurants](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/restaurants/) - [Textiles & Fabrics](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/textiles-and-fabrics/) - [Restaurant Franchisors](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/restaurant-franchisors/) - [Textiles, Apparel & Luxury Goods](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/textiles-apparel-and-luxury-goods/) - [Residential Furniture](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/consumer-discretionary/residential-furniture/) ### Put it to work - [How to analyze a stock](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/how-to-analyze-a-stock/) - [Fundamental analysis guides](https://www.getswoopr.com/learn/fundamental-analysis/) - [Company research](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/companies/) - [All industries](https://www.getswoopr.com/stocks/industries/) ## Frequently Asked Questions What are the main KPIs for the Specialty Retail industry? Key performance indicators for the Specialty Retail industry include: Comparable sales, Gross margin, Inventory turns, E-commerce share, Operating margin. Which matter most depends on the company's model, so compare them across several companies rather than relying on one. How cyclical is the Specialty Retail industry? The Specialty Retail industry is cyclical, meaning its revenues and earnings tend to expand during economic expansions and contract during downturns. Investors should monitor leading economic indicators and interest rate trends when evaluating timing. What are the biggest risks in the Specialty Retail industry? The primary risks for Specialty Retail companies include: Online competition, Markdowns, Wage and rent pressure, Fashion or product cycle risk. Investors should assess each company's exposure to these factors and its track record of navigating them. **[Swoopr Editorial Team](https://www.getswoopr.com/authors/swoopr-editorial-team/)** Swoopr's editorial team produces independent investment education content reviewed for accuracy and clarity. We do not provide personalized financial advice. See our [editorial policy](https://www.getswoopr.com/legal/editorial-policy/) and [corrections policy](https://www.getswoopr.com/legal/corrections-policy/).