Supplier Diversity: Retail Offers Contract Variety and Extensive Opportunities for Minority Firms

The retail industry has been facing some tough quarters as a result of the recent recessionary period, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t still opportunity for minority firms. The most recent data (2009) from the U.S. Census Bureau puts the size of the U.S. retail sector at $4.13 trillion, and nine of the top 20 retail firms worldwide are U.S.-based. Retail is a market hungry for both products and services, offering minority and women-owned (MWBE) businesses many contract niches to explore.