Retail
Class Code 8039: Store—Department—Retail — Workers' Comp Insurance
Covers department stores selling a broad range of merchandise categories — clothing, home goods, electronics, and more — at a single location and under one classification. It's built for larger, multi-department retail operations rather than single-category specialty stores.
- Risk level:
- moderate
What code 8039 covers
Class 8039 applies to department stores that sell a wide variety of merchandise across multiple categories from a single location, covering sales associates, cashiers, and stockroom staff across the store's departments. Because department stores combine categories that might otherwise have their own dedicated classification — apparel, housewares, electronics — this code is written broadly enough to capture that mix without requiring the store to split payroll by department in most cases. Stores with a distinct, larger-scale operation within the store, such as a full grocery section or a furniture showroom with its own delivery fleet, may need that portion evaluated separately. Store size, number of locations, and whether the business operates its own delivery or warehouse function are typical underwriting considerations.
Included operations
- Sales floor and cashier operations across departments
- Stockroom and receiving for a broad merchandise mix
- Customer service and returns processing
- Store-operated delivery drivers
Assigned elsewhere
- Single-category specialty stores with their own dedicated code — see the applicable classification such as 8008 (clothing) or 8010 (hardware)
- Standalone furniture stores with a dedicated delivery fleet — see code 8044
- Grocery departments operated at a scale resembling a full supermarket, evaluated separately
- Warehouse or distribution center operations run separately from the retail floor — see code 8292
Businesses that typically carry 8039
- Traditional department stores
- Big-box general merchandise retailers
- Multi-category discount retailers
- Independent, owner-operated retail locations
- Regional and multi-location retail chains
- Strip-mall and shopping-center storefronts
- Franchise retail locations
Common misclassifications
Code 8017
Smaller general-merchandise stores are sometimes coded as a plain retail NOC when their size and department mix better fit the department-store classification.
Code 8044
A department store's furniture section with its own dedicated delivery crew can present different exposure than the rest of the store.
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What drives the cost of code 8039
- Total annual payroll for employees assigned to this classification
- Experience modification factor based on claims history
- State-specific base rates and loss costs filed for this class code
- Claims frequency and severity trends for the business
- Safety programs, training, and workplace controls in place
- Payroll mix across multiple classifications at the same location
What underwriters look for
- Square footage, sales volume, and number of locations
- Whether the business has its own delivery drivers or uses third-party carriers
- Stocking, lifting, and equipment use such as forklifts, box cutters, or ladders
- Prior claims history and current experience modification factor
State differences
This entry uses standard NCCI class code phraseology, which applies in most NCCI-governed states. Pennsylvania (PCRB), Delaware (DCRB), California (WCIRB), New Jersey (NJCRIB), Michigan, New York (NYCIRB), and Massachusetts maintain their own classification manuals, and code numbers or phraseology can differ there. Our agency confirms the correct classification for your state before quoting.
Where code 8039 fits
Quote class code 8039.
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Class code 8039 questions
Do we need to split payroll by department under this code?
Generally no — 8039 is written to cover a typical department store's mix of merchandise under one classification, though larger distinct operations within the store may need separate review.
What if our store has a full grocery section?
A grocery operation of supermarket scale within the store may need to be evaluated separately from the general department-store classification.
Does this code cover our delivery drivers?
Yes, store-operated delivery drivers are typically included in this classification.
How is this different from the general retail NOC code?
8039 is intended for larger, multi-department stores, while 8017 is the catch-all for retail stores that don't fit a more specific category.
Last reviewed · Reviewed by Provident Financial Group licensed agents