SIC Code 53

General Merchandise Stores

Data updated July 2026

8 companies · FY2025

Median Pay Ratio
767:1
Avg Pay Ratio
874:1
Median CEO Pay
$14.4M
Avg CEO Pay
$14.6M

Reading the General Merchandise Stores CEO Pay Landscape (SIC 53, FY2025)

The General Merchandise Stores industry, classified under 2-digit SIC code 53, had 8 SEC-reporting public companies disclose CEO pay ratio data in fiscal year 2025. Across that set of firms, the median CEO-to-worker pay ratio was 767:1 and the average was 874:1. Median CEO total compensation in the sector was $14.4M, with the sector-wide average at $14.6M. These figures are aggregated from DEF 14A proxy statements filed under Section 953(b) of the Dodd-Frank Act, which requires every U.S.-listed reporting company to compare its CEO's total compensation against a representative median employee.

Pay dispersion inside this industry is substantial. The 25th percentile CEO in General Merchandise Stores earned $10.5M, while the 75th percentile CEO earned $16.8M - a spread that shows how firm size, equity-heavy compensation packages, and performance-linked incentives can drive very different outcomes even among peers sharing the same SIC code. When the average and median ratios are close, as they are here, pay practices in the sector are relatively uniform and the median is a reliable representative value.

Below you can scan each of the 21 General Merchandise Stores companies PlainCEOPay currently tracks in this SIC group, with reported CEO total compensation, median worker pay, and individual pay ratios. Company pages show how each available filing compares with this industry benchmark. The current dataset does not include a CEO name or an itemized compensation breakdown for each company. All displayed figures are drawn from SEC EDGAR filings; they are not estimated, imputed, or projected.

Companies in General Merchandise Stores (21)

Companies in General Merchandise Stores with CEO pay ratio, CEO total compensation, median worker pay, and fiscal year, sourced from SEC EDGAR DEF 14A.
Company CEO Pay Median Worker Pay Ratio FY
Five Below, IncSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1177609 $10.8M $6K 1,807:1 2025
Burlington Stores, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1579298 $17.1M $11K 1,584:1 2025
Burlington Stores, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1579298 $13.9M $12K 1,144:1 2023
Walmart Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 104169 $27.0M $28K 976:1 2023
Walmart Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 104169 $29.2M $31K 958:1 2025
Dollar Tree, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 935703 $14.8M $16K 911:1 2025
Five Below, IncSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1177609 $10.2M $12K 838:1 2023
Former Bl Stores IncSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 768835 $7.8M $10K 788:1 2023
KOHLS CorpSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 885639 $9.0M $12K 725:1 2023
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1531152 $16.7M $27K 622:1 2025
KOHLS CorpSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 885639 $9.4M $16K 593:1 2025
BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1531152 $10.9M $26K 422:1 2023
Macy's, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 794367 $14.1M $38K 368:1 2025
Dillard's, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 28917 $12.5M $36K 346:1 2023
Macy's, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 794367 $11.8M $34K 343:1 2023
Costco Wholesale Corp /newSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 909832 $13.9M $49K 283:1 2024
Costco Wholesale Corp /newSEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 909832 $12.3M $47K 262:1 2023
Dollar Tree, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 935703 $3.4M $16K 211:1 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1639300 $5.4M $27K 198:1 2023
Ollie's Bargain Outlet Holdings, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 1639300 $5.1M $35K 146:1 2025
Dillard's, Inc.SEC EDGAR DEF 14A, CIK 28917 $4.9M $37K 132:1 2024
Data Source: This data is sourced from SEC EDGAR proxy statement (DEF 14A) filings. PlainCEOPay provides this publicly available information for informational purposes only. Not investment or financial advice. Verify with SEC EDGAR →

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the typical pay ratio in General Merchandise Stores?
The median CEO pay ratio in General Merchandise Stores is 767:1, meaning the typical CEO earns 767 times more than the median employee. The average across 8 companies is 874:1.
How much do General Merchandise Stores CEOs earn?
Median CEO compensation in General Merchandise Stores is $14.4M, with an average of $14.6M. The 25th percentile CEO earns around $10.5M and the 75th percentile around $16.8M.
How many companies report CEO pay in General Merchandise Stores?
8 companies in the General Merchandise Stores sector (SIC code 53) filed CEO-to-worker pay ratio disclosures with the SEC in FY2025, as required by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act.
Where does this General Merchandise Stores pay data come from?
All executive compensation data is sourced from SEC EDGAR DEF 14A proxy statement filings. The Dodd-Frank Act requires publicly traded companies to disclose CEO-to-median-worker pay ratios annually. PlainCEOPay aggregates and benchmarks this data by 2-digit SIC industry code.

Related

Data sourced from SEC EDGAR filings (DEF 14A proxy statements). See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainCEOPay

Every figure on PlainCEOPay is rendered directly from SEC EDGAR executive compensation filings, no number is typed in by an editor. Industry benchmarks are computed directly from SEC EDGAR filings, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.