grossist

A grossist, also spelled grossist in some languages, is a business that buys goods in large quantities from manufacturers or other wholesalers and resells them in smaller quantities to retailers, institutions, or professional users. The grossist acts as an intermediary in the supply chain, providing services such as storage, inventory management, and distribution to manufacturers and buyers who may not be able to handle large lots efficiently themselves. By combining demand from many customers, wholesalers can achieve economies of scale and reduce transaction costs for both producers and buyers.

There are several types of wholesalers. Merchant wholesalers take title to the goods and profit from reselling them. Agents or brokers do not take ownership but facilitate sales between producers and buyers. Some wholesalers operate as manufacturers’ sales branches or offices. Common functions beyond buying and selling include breaking bulk, assorting a range of products, financing shipments through trade credit, and offering market information and sales support to customers.

Typical customers include retailers, small businesses, restaurants, institutions, and sometimes contractors or professional users. Formats vary from traditional warehouse operations to cash-and-carry outlets and drop-shipment arrangements, depending on the market and product category.

In practice, grossists contrast with retailers, who sell directly to end consumers, and with manufacturers, who produce the goods. The term is widely used in Dutch and several other languages; in English, the equivalent term is wholesaler.