Pedlar

A pedlar, also spelled peddlar, is a traveling merchant who sells small goods directly to customers, often by going door to door or moving between villages, towns, and markets. Pedlars typically carry a portable stock in a pack, on a cart, or in a pushcart. The British English spelling pedlar is common, while peddler is the American variant; both derive from the verb peddle, meaning to sell goods in small quantities, usually by moving from place to place.

Historically, pedlars were a familiar feature of European and North American life from the Middle Ages onward. They supplied everyday items—needles and thread, sewing supplies, household goods, trinkets, and small tools—and might also offer medicines or spices. In rural areas they provided access to goods outside fixed shops, and some pedlars offered credit or deliveries. The practice shares parallels with other itinerant traders such as chapmen.

In contemporary contexts, itinerant selling persists as door-to-door sales, street vending, and mobile market stalls. Regulation varies by country and city; many places require licenses, health and safety checks, or consumer-protection oversight. While the term can evoke negative stereotypes about fraud, legitimate pedlars contribute to direct-to-consumer commerce, especially in places with limited retail access. The vocabulary also intersects with related terms such as hawker, street vendor, and itinerant trader.