NAICS 423620

Overview

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) is the federal standard for classifying business establishments to support the collection, analysis, and publication of U.S. economic statistics. Developed jointly by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico and managed by the Office of Management and Budget, the current vintage is NAICS 2022, which federal statistical programs are implementing on a staged timeline. ¹
NAICS 423620 covers merchant wholesalers of household appliances, electric housewares, and consumer electronics. Establishments in this industry sell primarily to retailers, commercial and institutional buyers, and other businesses, not the general public. The code title used across Census programs reflects this scope for industry tabulation and longitudinal datasets. ⁴

See also on G2X:

• G2X — NAICS 423620 overview
• G2X — NAICS 423610
• G2X — NAICS 423690

What this NAICS covers

• Merchant wholesale distribution of major household appliances (e.g., refrigerators, ranges, washers, dryers). ⁴
• Merchant wholesale distribution of electric housewares and small appliances (e.g., fans, coffee makers, hair dryers, humidifiers). ⁴
• Merchant wholesale distribution of consumer electronics (e.g., televisions, audio and video equipment). ⁴
• Selling primarily to retailers, commercial, institutional, and other business customers rather than the general public. ³
• Operating from warehouses/offices with services incidental to the sale of merchandise (e.g., order fulfillment, delivery). ³
• Acting as an intermediate step in the distribution of durable consumer electrical goods. ³

Related NAICS and PSC codes

Boundary with adjacent NAICS codes

• Computers and peripherals are classified elsewhere; wholesaling electronic parts/equipment (except electrical apparatus and appliances) is in NAICS 423690. ⁵
• Electrical construction materials, wiring supplies, and power-distribution equipment fall under NAICS 423610, not NAICS 423620. ⁵
• 2012 revisions moved certain activities between NAICS 423620 and NAICS 423720, refining scope around household appliances and hydronics. ⁶

Frequently asked questions

• What activities fall under NAICS 423620?
  Establishments primarily engaged in merchant wholesaling of household appliances, electric housewares, and consumer electronics are included. The title used by Census programs defines the scope for industry tabulation and longitudinal datasets. ⁴
  See also on G2X: NAICS 423620.

• How does NAICS 423620 differ from NAICS 423610 and NAICS 423690?
  NAICS 423620 covers household appliances, electric housewares, and consumer electronics; NAICS 423610 covers wiring supplies and electrical apparatus; NAICS 423690 covers other electronic parts/equipment. Census cross-references distinguish these boundaries and examples. ⁵

• Are retail electronics and appliance sales classified under NAICS 423620?
  No. Retail activities are in Sector 44–45, such as NAICS 443111 (Household Appliance Stores) and NAICS 443112 (Radio, Television, and Other Electronics Stores) in prior vintages. Wholesale trade is separately defined in Sector 42. ⁷

• What changed for this industry in the 2012 NAICS revision?
  Selected activities shifted between NAICS 423620 and NAICS 423720 to better delineate household appliances from hydronics. The realignment clarified placement without changing the industry’s wholesale focus or buyer orientation. ⁶

• What is the status of NAICS 2022 adoption and where are 2022 data published?
  Census began releasing statistics on a 2022 NAICS basis with the 2022 Economic Census and is phasing adoption across programs through 2027. Users should consult program documentation for timing and concordances during the transition. ¹

Useful resources

• G2X — NAICS 423620
• Census — Implementation of the 2022 NAICS (timeline, scope, adoption). ¹
• Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. ²
• NAICS Sector 42 — Wholesale Trade (sector definition). ³
• LEHD Snapshot value labels — NAICS titles used in Census longitudinal data. ⁴

References

1. U.S. Census Bureau — The Census Bureau’s Implementation of the 2022 NAICS. https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/naics/2022/implementation-timeline.html
2. U.S. Census Bureau — Economic Census: NAICS Codes & Understanding Industry Classification Systems. https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/economic-census/year/2022/technical-documentation/code-lists/understanding-naics-redirect.html
3. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS Sector 42 (Wholesale Trade) definition (archive). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect42.html
4. U.S. Census Bureau — LEHD Snapshot Documentation: Selected Codebook Value Labels (includes NAICS 423620 title). https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/lehd-snapshot-doc/latest/appendices/value_labels.html
5. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS 423690 cross-references (distinguishing 423610 and 423620). https://www2.census.gov/econ2007/Reference_materials/htm%20files/4236901.htm
6. U.S. Census Bureau — Enterprise Statistics Program Methodology (2012 NAICS wholesale regrouping affecting 423620/423720). https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/esp/technical-documentation/methodology.html
7. U.S. Census Bureau — NAICS Sector 44–45 archive (includes 443111 Household Appliance Stores and 443112 Radio, Television, and Other Electronics Stores). https://www.census.gov/naics/resources/archives/sect44-45.html