Industries › Retail Trade › General Merchandise Retailers
NAICS 455Subsector0.4% of all approvals
SBA loans for general merchandise retailers
7(a) and 504 approvals to businesses SBA classifies under NAICS 455, with the lenders and states behind them.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
Businesses classified under NAICS 455, general merchandise retailers, received 1,304 SBA loan approvals worth $464M in FY2021 to FY2025 (1,169 7(a), 135 504).
That is 0.4% of all approvals.
In FY2025 there were 420 approvals, up 10% on FY2024. The median 7(a) approval was $100K, against $190K for all industries, and 2.7% of approvals went to franchise businesses.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Volume by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | 7(a) approvals | 7(a) dollars | Median 7(a) | 504 approvals | 504 dollars | All approvals | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 169 | $41.3M | $100K | 17 | $29.4M | 186 | 1,282 |
| FY2025 | 400 | $111M | $126K | 20 | $17.2M | 420 | 2,134 |
| FY2024 | 348 | $87.8M | $101K | 33 | $28.6M | 381 | 1,769 |
| FY2023 | 301 | $78.3M | $97K | 36 | $43.0M | 337 | 1,810 |
| FY2022 | 118 | $42.8M | $110K | 45 | $52.9M | 163 | 1,181 |
| FY2021 | 2 | — | — | 1 | — | 3 | 41 |
| FY2020 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2019 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2018 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2017 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
| FY2016 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — | 0 | 0 |
SBA records the NAICS code in force when a loan was approved. The 2022 NAICS revision renumbered parts of retail trade and information, so some lines of business appear under one code before FY2023 and another after. FY2016–FY2020 approvals under this code: 0.
Within this subsector
| NAICS | Industry group | Approvals, FY2021–FY2025 | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4552 | Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers | 1,206 | 92.5% |
| 4551 | Department Stores | 98 | 7.5% |
Lenders most active in this industry
By number of approvals, FY2021–FY2025; 233 lenders had at least one.
| # | Lender | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TD Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 144 | $12.2M | 11.0% | |
| 2 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 111 | $16.4M | 8.5% | |
| 3 | U.S. Bank, National AssociationCincinnati, OH | 82 | $9.1M | 6.3% | |
| 4 | Northeast BankLewiston, ME | 70 | $9.7M | 5.4% | |
| 5 | Newtek Bank, National AssociationMiami, FL | 66 | $38.2M | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Celtic Bank CorporationSalt Lake City, UT | 63 | $12.0M | 4.8% | |
| 7 | Readycap Lending, LLCBerkeley Heights, NJ | 55 | $14.0M | 4.2% | |
| 8 | Lendistry SBLC, LLCLos Angeles, CA | 47 | $8.3M | 3.6% | |
| 9 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 42 | $7.8M | 3.2% | |
| 10 | Manufacturers and Traders Trust CompanyBuffalo, NY | 36 | $3.2M | 2.8% | |
| 11 | JPMorgan Chase Bank, National AssociationColumbus, OH | 26 | $7.5M | 2.0% | |
| 12 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 19 | $4.2M | 1.5% | |
| 13 | KeyBank National AssociationCleveland, OH | 19 | $1.2M | 1.5% | |
| 14 | Newtek Small Business Finance, Inc.Lake Success, NY | 16 | $2.3M | 1.2% | |
| 15 | First Internet Bank of IndianaFishers, IN | 15 | $17.5M | 1.2% | |
| 16 | Bank of America, National AssociationCharlotte, NC | 13 | $3.1M | 1.0% | |
| 17 | PNC Bank, National AssociationWilmington, DE | 13 | $1.3M | 1.0% | |
| 18 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 12 | $3.2M | 0.9% | |
| 19 | FinWise BankSandy, UT | 11 | $6.5M | 0.8% | |
| 20 | Colony BankFitzgerald, GA | 11 | $2.3M | 0.8% |
States
| # | State of the business | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | 181 | $71.1M | 13.9% | |
| 2 | New York | 161 | $51.4M | 12.3% | |
| 3 | Florida | 137 | $51.9M | 10.5% | |
| 4 | Ohio | 74 | $14.3M | 5.7% | |
| 5 | Texas | 67 | $23.6M | 5.1% | |
| 6 | New Jersey | 65 | $33.1M | 5.0% | |
| 7 | Pennsylvania | 52 | $20.5M | 4.0% | |
| 8 | Illinois | 46 | $12.1M | 3.5% | |
| 9 | Michigan | 37 | $15.0M | 2.8% | |
| 10 | North Carolina | 32 | $12.0M | 2.5% | |
| 11 | Minnesota | 32 | $9.1M | 2.5% | |
| 12 | Georgia | 30 | $17.0M | 2.3% | |
| 13 | Utah | 29 | $14.6M | 2.2% | |
| 14 | Massachusetts | 28 | $4.7M | 2.1% | |
| 15 | Colorado | 22 | $7.3M | 1.7% |
Franchise brands
2.7% of approvals carried a franchise code.
| # | Brand | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Batteries Plus | 4 | 0.3% | |
| 2 | Magnolia Soap and Bath | 3 | 0.2% | |
| 3 | Edible Arrangements | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 4 | Snap-On | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 5 | Sea Love | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 6 | SIGNworld | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 7 | Budget Blinds | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 8 | Mobility Plus | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 9 | DonutNV | 2 | 0.2% | |
| 10 | Once Upon A Child | 1 | 0.1% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less33.4%435
- $50,001 to $150,00025.3%330
- $150,001 to $350,00018.1%236
- $350,001 to $1 million14.3%186
- $1 million to $2 million5.8%76
- Over $2 million3.1%41
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old68.0%887
- New business, 2 years or less18.3%238
- Startup, loan funds will open the business8.7%113
- Change of ownership5.1%66
Charge-offs against all industries
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | This industry, 7(a) | All 7(a) | This industry, 504 | All 504 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 2 | 639,905 | 1 | 85,591 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 0 | 79,313 | 0 | 12,514 |
| Disbursed loans | 2 | 560,592 | 1 | 73,077 |
| Paid in full | 0 | 435,813 | 0 | 35,491 |
| Charged off | 0 | 36,891 | 0 | 905 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 2 | 87,888 | 1 | 36,681 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | too few loans | 6.6% | too few loans | 1.2% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | too few loans | 2.5% | too few loans | 0.9% |
| Dollars charged off | — | $5.70bn | — | $499M |
Against all industries
| FY2021–FY2025 | NAICS 455 | All industries |
|---|---|---|
| Median 7(a) approval | $100K | $190K |
| Median 504 approval | $670K | $657K |
| Average approval | $356K | $573K |
| Approvals per 1,000 establishments | — | 41.0 |
| Approvals to franchise businesses | 2.7% | 11.2% |
| Jobs supported per approval, as reported | 5.3 | 10.5 |
Questions and answers
Which lenders make the most SBA loans for general merchandise retailers?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: TD Bank, National Association (144), The Huntington National Bank (111), U.S. Bank, National Association (82), Northeast Bank (70), Newtek Bank, National Association (66). 233 lenders had at least one.
How large are typical SBA loans for general merchandise retailers?
The median 7(a) approval was $100K and the median 504 approval $670K; the average across both programs was $356K.
What share of SBA loans for general merchandise retailers are charged off?
There are too few matured loans to show a rate.
Which states have the most SBA loans for general merchandise retailers?
California (181), New York (161), Florida (137), Ohio (74), Texas (67).
Is SBA lending for general merchandise retailers rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 1,138, against 166 in the three before: rising (+586%).
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Establishment counts are from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns 2023, which leaves out most farms, government and businesses without employees. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error