Wholesaler - Oroshiurisho (English spelling)

A commercial business that is intermediate between producers and retailers, purchasing large quantities of goods from producers and selling them to retailers either as is or after sorting the goods. Commonly known as a "tonya" (wholesaler). Depending on their position in the distribution system, they can be divided into primary wholesalers (original wholesalers, production area wholesalers, etc.), secondary wholesalers (consumption area wholesalers, etc.), and sometimes tertiary wholesalers. In principle, wholesalers do not sell to consumers, but are limited to sales between merchants and sales to productive consumers. The functions of wholesalers are broadly divided into those that serve producers and those that serve retailers. Functions that serve producers include (1) taking over sales duties, (2) taking over storage and transportation, (3) supplying and assisting with materials and funds, and (4) providing advice on performance, quality, and varieties, and market information. Functions offered to retailers include (1) breaking down large quantities of goods into smaller quantities, (2) collecting goods that retailers want, (3) financing such as credit sales, (4) shouldering distribution risks such as weight loss, deterioration, and going out of fashion, and (5) sales guidance. Wholesalers are divided into ordinary wholesalers who perform all of these functions, and limited wholesalers who perform only some of them, such as cash-on-delivery wholesalers, traveling truck wholesalers, intermediary wholesalers (who handle only ordered items), and mail-order wholesalers. Wholesalers are also divided into specialized wholesalers who handle a single item, and general-purpose wholesalers who handle multiple items. Intermediary merchants who only receive a commission by acting as an intermediary in sales and purchases are not true wholesalers, as they do not handle physical goods that involve the transfer of ownership, but are considered to be a derived form.

[Mitsuo Morimoto]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

生産者と小売商の中間に位置し、生産者からまとまった量の商品を買い付け、そのまま、もしくは荷さばきをして小売商に販売する中間流通機能を担当する商業経営。俗に問屋(とんや)という。流通上の位置により、一次卸商（元卸(もとおろし)商、産地問屋など）、二次卸商（消費地問屋など）、ときには三次卸商などに分けることもある。卸売商は原則として消費者には販売せず、商人間の売買、生産的消費者への販売に限られる。卸売商の機能は、対生産者と対小売商に大別される。対生産者機能には、(1)販売業務の肩代り、(2)保管、運送の肩代り、(3)資材、資金の供給と援助、(4)性能、品質、品種に関する助言と市場情報の提供、などがある。対小売商機能には、(1)大口商品の小口化、(2)小売商の求める商品の収集、(3)掛売りなどの金融、(4)減量、変質、流行遅れなど流通上の危険の肩代り、(5)販売指導、などがある。卸売商には、これら諸機能をすべて果たす普通卸売商と、一部だけを果たす現金店頭渡し卸売商、貨物車巡回卸売商、仲介卸売商（注文品のみを扱う）、通信販売卸売商のような限定卸売商とがある。また卸売商には、単一品目を扱う専門卸売商と、多数品目を扱うよろず屋式卸売商とがある。売買の仲介によって手数料だけを得る仲介商人は、所有権の移転を伴う実物商品を扱わないので本来の卸売商ではないが、その派生形態とみなされる。

［森本三男］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例