Retailing has a complex infrastructure with millions of retailers and store locations, not to mention clicks-only and bricks-and-firms. So, how can we better understand it?

Retale has devised an animated infographic that is easy to understand and analyze. Here are some conclusions from that infographic:

• “Out of 100 employees, how many work in retail? With a 14% share of the U.S. economy, retail is the biggest industry after education and health services.”

• “What is the gender makeup of the retail industry? The gender-split is quite equal compared to many other industries, but still slightly less than the national average (46.80%).”

• “How are age groups dispersed among the retail workforce? The retail workforce is dominated by millennials with nearly 2/3 below the age of 44 and another 29% younger than 24.”

• “How would 100 employees be distributed across retail sectors? Perhaps unsurprisingly, people are employed where the product demand seems to be the highest and where the product life cycle is sometimes lower.”

• “How would every $100 be spent? Turns out not even life essentials can compete with that new-jeans feeling. We spend twice as much on apparel as we do on food — and seven times more on our appearance than on furnishing our homes.”

To see the infographic and learn about many other aspects of the retail industry, click the image below.