Tukkukaupat

Tukkukaupat, or wholesale trade, are business entities that purchase goods in large quantities from manufacturers or importers and resell them in smaller batches to retailers, institutions, or other businesses. They occupy an intermediate position in the supply chain, reducing transaction costs, handling logistics, and enabling producers to reach a broader market. Through inventories, distribution networks, and sometimes credit terms, tukkukaupat help stabilize availability and pricing for downstream customers.

Common forms include merchant wholesalers who take title to goods, cash-and-carry distributors who sell to retailers on a self-service basis, rack jobbers who stock shelves on behalf of retailers, and drop shippers who pass orders to producers who ship directly to customers. Wholesalers can operate via physical warehouses, distribution centers, and increasingly online platforms, sometimes combining several models.

Wholesalers serve many sectors, including food and beverages, clothing and textiles, electronics, building materials, and industrial supplies. They may provide value-added services such as packaging, labeling, market information, product testing, and promotional support, or offer exclusive distribution rights in a given territory. By aggregating demand and offering flexible delivery options, tukkukaupat enable smaller retailers and businesses to compete with larger buyers.

Regulatory context includes general competition and contract law, value-added tax (VAT), and sector-specific rules in areas like food safety and labeling. The wholesale sector is influenced by trends such as digital commerce, omnichannel distribution, and logistics optimization, which shape how tukkukaupat operate and partner with manufacturers and retailers.