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Pawn Shops in the US - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Alexander Govdysh Alexander Govdysh New York, United States Last Updated: September 2024 NAICS OD4741

Revenue

$3.0bn

2024

$3.0bn

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

$XXX.Xm

Employees

37,000

Businesses

7,771

Wages

$X.Xbn

Pawn Shops in the US industry analysis

Pawn shops have faltered in recent years, as economic stabilization following the pandemic curtailed their appeal in the broader market. Prior to 2020, strong performance in the broader economy reduced demand for pawn loans from low-income consumers that experienced improvements in their financial positions. Consumers who fall below the poverty line represent the primary source of demand for pawn loans and when their number is reduced, pawn loan demand declines. While merchandise sales grew in line with rising consumers, large-scale fiscal programs by the federal government amid the pandemic curtailed demand for pawn loans by low income consumers who lost their jobs or experienced reduced incomes otherwise. In recent years, however, higher inflationary pressures did boost some pawn shops, as low-income consumers hardest hit by inflation looked to pawn shops to raise money quickly. Despite this trend, revenue fell at a CAGR of 2.4% to an estimated $3.0 billion over the past five years, including an estimated 0.1% boost in 2024.

Trends and Insights

  • Countercyclical cycle impacts pawn shop performance. Although high inflation has bolstered consumer demand for pawn shop services, recent stabilization of consumer confidence reversed this trend.
  • Pawn shops specialize in short-term loan provision secured by collateral. Higher economic volatility leads many consumers to turn to pawn shops to procure emergency funding in small denominations.
  • Used goods stores' distribution closely matches population density. The Southeast region generates considerable pawn shop demand due to a large low-income consumer population.
  • Pawn shops' success hinges on their merchandise and inventory in-stock. Each store competes based on its unique offerings, such as electronics and jewelry, impacting consumer outreach and market dominance.

Access hundreds of analysis and data

  • Market estimates from 2014-2029
  • Critical performance data and rankings
  • Detailed analysis of competitive forces and the external environment
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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has declined at a CAGR of 2.4 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated $3.0bn in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Demand for pawn loans and retail sales move inversely

  • Pawn shops’ core revenue streams are derived from two channels: interest made through collateralized loans and retail sales of used items.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Pawn Shops in the US
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to decline over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

Improving economic conditions will hurt demand

  • The economy's return to growth will facilitate a steady improvement in household financial conditions, increasing consumers' ability to meet their expenses without the assistance of pawn loans.

Biggest companies in the Pawn Shops in the US

Company
Market Share (%)
2024
Revenue ($m)
2024
Profit ($m)
2024
Profit Margin (%)
2024
First Cash Corp
1,325.4
160.6
12.1
Ezcorp, Inc.
840.9
75.9
9.0

To view the market share and analysis for all 2 top companies in this industry, view purchase options.

Products & Services Segmentation

Pawn Shops in the US
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Secured loans, Merchandise sales and Other sales. Secured loans is the largest segment of the Pawn Shops in the US.

Trends and Insights

Demand for pawn loans has risen amid heightened interest rates

  • Pawn loans are secured on many categories of consumer goods, ranging from jewelry to electronics.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

Companies in this industry offer secured loans to individuals, who then provide items of personal property as collateral. These companies also retail used goods that are often acquired from unpaid loans or purchased directly from consumers.

What's included in this industry?

Secured loansMerchandise salesAppraising items for purchase or pawn

Companies

First Cash CorpEzcorp, Inc.

Purchase this report to view all 2 major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

PAWN LOANCOLLATERALBIG-BOX RETAILER

Industry Code

NAICS 2017

NAICS 52229 - Pawn Shops in the US

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Countercyclical cycle impacts pawn shop performance. Although high inflation has bolstered consumer demand for pawn shop services, recent stabilization of consumer confidence...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility
  • How contribution to GDP, industry saturation, innovation, consolidation, and technology and systems influence the industry's life cycle phase.

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

Pawn shops specialize in short-term loan provision secured by collateral. Higher economic volatility leads many consumers to turn to pawn shops to procure emergency funding i...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Used goods stores' distribution closely matches population density. The Southeast region generates considerable pawn shop demand due to a large low-income consumer population...

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each state
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each state in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each state accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each state in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Geographic spread of the industry across North America, and trends associated with changes in the business landscape
  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Pawn shops' success hinges on their merchandise and inventory in-stock. Each store competes based on its unique offerings, such as electronics and jewelry, impacting consumer...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

Detailed analysis

  • Factors impacting the industry’s level of concentration, such as business distribution, new entrants, or merger and acquisition activity.
  • Key success factors for businesses to manage the competitive environment of the industry.
  • Challenges that potential industry entrants face such as legal, start-up costs, differentiation, labor/capital intensity and capital expenses.
  • Key success factors for potential entrants to overcome barriers to entry.
  • Competitive threats from potential substitutes for the industry’s own products and services.
  • Key success factors for how successful businesses can compete with substitutes.
  • Advantages that buyers have to keep favorable purchasing conditions.
  • Advantages that suppliers have to maintain favorable selling conditions.
  • Key success factors for how businesses can navigate buyer and supplier power.

Companies

Learn about the performance of the top companies in the industry.

Analyst insights

FirstCash Inc. acquires American First Finance. This acquisition has diversified FirstCash’s revenue opportunities as the company enters the expanding lease-to-own and point-...

In this chapter

  • Market Share Concentration
  • Companies
  • Company Spotlights

Charts

  • Industry market share by company in 2020 through 2024
  • Major companies in the industry, including market share, revenue, profit and profit margin in 2024
  • Overview of First Cash Corp's performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024
  • Overview of Ezcorp, Inc.'s performance by revenue, market share and profit margin from 2018 through 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Description and key data for First Cash Corp, and factors influencing its performance in the industry
  • Description and key data for Ezcorp, Inc., and factors influencing its performance in the industry

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Pawn shops receive minimal assistance. While they don't benefit from specific tariffs, several associations advocate for pawn shops' interests, such as the National Pawnbroke...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Charts

  • Regulation & Policy historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 
  • Assistance historical data and forecast (2014-2029) 

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance
  • Major types of regulations, regulatory bodies, industry standards or specific regulations impacting requirements for industry operators
  • Key governmental and non-governmental groups or policies that may provide some relief for industry operators.

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

Profit has declined as economic conditions have stabilized. While recent spikes in inflation temporarily boosted pawn shops, greater access to credit and higher consumer conf...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Industry Multiples (2017-2022)
  • Industry Tax Structure (2017-2022)
  • Income Statement (2017-2022)
  • Balance Sheet (2017-2022)
  • Liquidity Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Coverage Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Leverage Ratios  (2017-2022)
  • Operating Ratios (2017-2022)
  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States in 2024?

The market size of the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States is $3.0bn in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Pawn Shops in the US industry in 2024?

There are 7,771 businesses in the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.9 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States has been declining at a CAGR of 2.4 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States is expected to decline.

What are the biggest companies in the Pawn Shops in the US market in United States?

The biggest companies operating in the Pawn Shops market in United States are First Cash Corp and Ezcorp, Inc.

What does the Pawn Shops in the US in United States include?

Secured loans and Merchandise sales are part of the Pawn Shops in the US industry.

Which companies have the highest market share in the Pawn Shops in the US in United States?

The company holding the most market share in United States is First Cash Corp.

How competitive is the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States?

The level of competition is moderate and steady in the Pawn Shops in the US industry in United States.

Related Industries

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Complementors

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Methodology

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IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in the US include: 

  • US Census Bureau
  • US Bureau of Labor Statistics
  • US International Trade Commission

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

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