Definition

Noun: A wholesaler is a person or business that purchases goods in very large quantities from manufacturers or producers and then sells those goods, typically in smaller quantities, to retailers or other businesses. A wholesaler does not sell directly to the final, individual consumer.

Usage

The term is used to describe a key intermediary in the supply chain between producers and retail stores. It is a standard business and economic term.

Examples

• The wholesaler delivered a pallet of canned goods to the local grocery store.
• Small boutique owners often buy their inventory from a fashion wholesaler.
• To get the best prices, the restaurant chain sources its ingredients directly from a food wholesaler.

Advanced Usage

• Acting as a wholesaler: This phrase describes the function of selling in bulk to other traders.
  • The company began acting as a wholesaler for electronic components in addition to manufacturing them.

Variants and Related Words

• Wholesale (noun): The business or activity of selling goods in large quantities at low prices to retailers.
  • He works in the wholesale sector.
• Wholesale (verb): To sell goods in large quantities at low prices, typically to be retailed by others.
  • The factory wholesales its products to distributors.
• Wholesale (adjective/adverb): Involving or done on a large scale.
  • The government condemned the wholesale destruction of the forest. (adjective)
  • The company bought the materials wholesale. (adverb)
• Distributor: A very similar term, often used interchangeably, though a distributor may have an exclusive agreement with a manufacturer and provide more services.

Synonyms

• Distributor
• Jobber (in specific trades)
• Merchant
• Supplier

Antonyms

• Retailer
• Customer
• Consumer

Noun

1. someone who buys large quantities of goods and resells to merchants rather than to the ultimate customers