Trade Channel Definitions by Consumer Activity Cluster

Grocery Shopping Consumer Activity Cluster

Supermarket
A chain or independent self-service store that offers fresh produce, meat, and a wide variety of
food items. These outlets generally have multiple checkout registers and are among the stores
with the highest annual traffic counts and all-commodity volume.
Superette
A chain or independent self-service store that offers fresh produce, meat, and a variety of food
items. These stores generally have fewer checkout registers and lower all-commodity volume
and traffic counts than supermarkets. The square footage is about one-half that of
supermarkets.
Convenience Store/Petroleum Food Mart
A chain or independent self-service store that offers a limited array of grocery items. These
stores are generally compact, open long hours, have beverage cold vaults, and may offer meat,
fish or produce. These stores may or may not sell gas. Many are owned by, or affiliated with, an
oil company, but gas sales is not a requirement.
Cash & Carry Retail
A chain or independent self-service store that specializes in discounted groceries and that
primarily sells to consumers or other communities in large quantities.
Discount Grocery
A chain or independent self-service store that does not require any kind of membership, sells to
consumers, and offers primarily grocery products but includes general merchandise, both at
deeply discounted prices and on a cash and carry basis.
Hyper-Merchandiser
A chain or independent self-service store that has a blended format of supermarket and general
merchandise retail products. This type of store is characterized by large square footage, mass
merchandising techniques, and a lower than normal margin structure.
Liquor/Beer/Wine
A chain or independent store that primarily sells beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) for offpremise consumption. Also included in this trade channel are beverage shops who primarily sell
all types of beverages.
Local & Traditional Grocery
A small, independent grocery store, or "mom n pop, operated by a husband, wife, or other
family members and usually not self-service. Other local grocery services such as home
delivery, "rolling stores," and other store and service formats are included here.
Specialty Food Store
A chain or independent store (generally not self-service) that offers specific types of food such
as meat, seafood, bakery items, and gourmet-type products, as well as ethnic or health foods,
primarily for off-premise consumption.

Trade Channel Definitions by Consumer Activity Cluster

Other Shopping & Services Consumer Activity Cluster
Automotive Services
A retail business that offers automotive services. Such a store may be a gas station, a motor
vehicle dealer, an automotive supply store or repair shop, or a car wash. This channel does not
include stores that sell food staples (milk, eggs, bread, and so on).
Club Store
A store that offers a wide assortment of general merchandise and sells exclusively to club
members that can be either customers or consumers. Such stores generally provide a group of
products at a significant discount.
Drug Store
A chain or independent store that primarily sells pharmaceuticals, or health and beauty aids, or
both. Some of these stores promote deep discounting and may have a variety of snack foods
and beverages, as well as general merchandise items.
General Merchandiser
A chain or independent store that primarily sells general merchandise such as household items,
apparel, and other miscellaneous nonfood items.
Mass Merchandiser
A large general merchandise store, usually in excess of 10,000 square feet, that primarily
provides merchandise at discounted prices.
Retail Specialty Services
A chain or independent retail business that primarily provides nonfood related services such as
personal care, clothes cleaning, shoe repair, business services, banking, or financial services.

Trade Channel Definitions by Consumer Activity Cluster

Eating & Drinking Consumer Activity Cluster
Quick-Service Restaurant
A chain or independent fast food restaurant that primarily sells prepared foods and beverages to
eat in, take out, or deliver, and normally does not offer table service.
Full-Service Restaurant
A chain or independent restaurant that offers prepared foods and beverages and provides table
service. These restaurants generally have higher average entree prices than quick-service
restaurants and often sell alcoholic beverages.
Bar/Tavern/Licensed Establishment
A chain or independent licensed business that primarily sells alcoholic beverages for onpremise consumption. This type of business may sell food or provide some form of
entertainment. Discos (non-alcoholic or alcoholic) are not included in this trade channel.
Street Vendor
An independent food vendor that usually sells from a street stand, kiosk, cart, or mobile unit.
Other Eating & Drinking
Includes all other eating and drinking locations that are not characterized by trade channels
within Eating & Drinking."

Entertainment/Recreation/Leisure Consumer Activity Cluster

Amusement
Locations that consumers frequent that provide delightful diversions for spectator amusement.
This includes commercially operated amusement parks, cinemas, and sport venues.
Recreation
Locations that consumers frequent that provide activities that primarily involve consumer
participation. This includes government- or privately operated parks, natural recreational
locations, religious or charitable facilities, and facilities offering health club, bath, spa,
swimming, tennis, golf, social, fraternal, city, or country club activities.
Leisure
Locations that consumers frequent that provide delightful diversions which are primarily
restricted to adult participation and where alcohol is usually prevalent. This includes dance
clubs, social clubs, gambling locations (such as casinos) designed to offer playing and betting
on games of chance, and all types of race tracks where betting is conducted legally.

Trade Channel Definitions by Consumer Activity Cluster

Travel/Transportation/Hospitality Consumer Activity Cluster
Transportation
A public or private business that primarily manages or provides any form of transportation that
relates to airlines, trains, ships, bus lines, and terminal facilities. These operations can include
airports, bus terminals or stations, trucking freight services, public transit systems, public rest
areas, cruise ship lines, ship terminals, or maritime freight or ferry services.
Lodging
A chain or independent business that primarily provides indoor or outdoor lodging
accommodations or business conference facilities such as hotels, motels, resorts, inns, bed and
breakfast establishments, hostels, recreational vehicle parks, or campgrounds.

Education Consumer Activity Cluster

Primary/Secondary School
Publicly or privately owned schools that provide elementary through high school levels of precollege education. Grades vary by country.
Business/Trade School
Publicly or privately owned schools that offer training in business skills, manual trades, or
vocational skills, as well as a variety of art, music, dance, and special interest training.
College/University
Publicly or privately owned colleges or universities that offer education at levels generally
referred to as higher education, including the highest levels of specialized and professional
education.

At-Work Consumer Activity Cluster

Business & Professional Office
A business that provides clerical or professional services carried out by a professional such as a
doctor, dentist, or lawyer, or a company office where normal business practices are conducted.
Health/Hospital
A full-size hospital, medical clinic, retirement home, nursing home, or other medical facility.
Government (Non-Military)
National and local governmental departments and all physical facilities under their control, with
the exclusion of military operations.
Military
All military departments for all branches of the armed forces, including all physical facilities,
throughout the world for the United States, local, and other military.
Industrial/Agricultural/Utility
A variety of work locations primarily involved in industrial, manufacturing, mining, agricultural,
ranching, public utilities, and other service industries.

Trade Channel Definitions by Consumer Activity Cluster

Third-Party (Non-Consumer) Consumer Activity Cluster
Contract Vending & Food Service
A chain or independent business that primarily manages or provides vending and/or food and
catering services that are contracted with businesses.
Wholesale
A chain or independent business that primarily sells grocery products at wholesale, generally in
large quantities, to grocery retailers for resale to consumers. Services offered may include
distribution by wholesale grocers, beverage wholesalers, breweries, or regional sales agents.
Bottler house sales of company products from a bottler's facility to retail customers and sales to
employees are included in this channel.
All Other