Louisiana had 7,497 wholesale establishments in 1997, with sales of $49 billion. Retail trade amounted to $37 billion in 1997, conducted by 23,558 establishments. The leading number of retail establishments were food stores, with 15% of total stores; automotive dealers, 14%; and eating and drinking places, 26%. Food sales came to $7.3 billion in 1997, and general merchandise sales came to approximately $6 billion. Total exports amounted to $17 billion in 1998, with Louisiana ranking 9th in the nation in terms of export sales value.