Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of professional equipment and supplies (except ophthalmic goods and medical, dental, and hospital equipment and supplies). Illustrative Examples: Church supplies (except silverware, plated ware) merchant wholesalers School equipment and supplies (except books, furniture) merchant wholesalers Drafting tables and instruments merchant wholesalers Scientific instruments merchant wholesalers Laboratory equipment (except medical, dental) merchant wholesalers Surveying equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 42 | Wholesale Trade 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Wholesale Trade sector comprises establishments engaged in wholesaling merchandise, generally without transformation, and rendering services incidental to the sale of merchandise. The merchandise described in this sector includes the outputs of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and certain information industries, such as publishing. The wholesaling process is an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise. Wholesalers are organized to sell or arrange the purchase or sale of (a) goods for resale (i.e., goods sold to other wholesalers or retailers), (b) capital or durable nonconsumer goods, and (c) raw and intermediate materials and supplies used in production. Wholesalers sell merchandise to other businesses and normally operate from a warehouse or office. These warehouses and offices are characterized by having little or no display of merchandise. In addition, neither the design nor the location of the premises is intended to solicit walk-in traffic. Wholesalers do not normally use advertising directed to the general public. Customers are generally reached initially via telephone, in-person marketing, or by specialized advertising that may include Internet and other electronic means. Follow-up orders are either vendor-initiated or client-initiated, generally based on previous sales, and typically exhibit strong ties between sellers and buyers. In fact, transactions are often conducted between wholesalers and clients that have long-standing business relationships. This sector comprises two main types of wholesalers: merchant wholesalers that sell goods on their own account and agents and brokers that arrange sales and purchases for others generally for a commission or fee. (1) Establishments that sell goods on their own account are known as wholesale merchants, distributors, jobbers, drop shippers, and import/export merchants. Also included as wholesale merchants are sales offices and sales branches (but not retail stores) maintained by manufacturing, refining, or mining enterprises apart from their plants or mines for the purpose of marketing their products, and group purchasing organizations primarily purchasing and selling goods on their own account. Merchant wholesale establishments typically maintain their own warehouse, where they receive and handle goods for their customers. Goods are generally sold without transformation, but may include integral functions, such as sorting, packaging, labeling, and other marketing services. (2) Establishments arranging for the purchase or sale of goods owned by others or purchasing goods, generally on a commission basis are known as business-to-business electronic markets, agents and brokers, commission merchants, import/export agents and brokers, auction companies, group purchasing organizations (acting as agents), and manufacturers' representatives. These establishments operate from offices and generally do not own or handle the goods they sell. Some wholesale establishments may be connected with a single manufacturer and promote and sell the particular manufacturer's products to a wide range of other wholesalers or retailers. Other wholesalers may be connected to a retail chain, or limited number of retail chains, and only provide a variety of products needed by that particular retail operation(s). These wholesalers may obtain the products from a wide range of manufacturers. Still other wholesalers may not take title to the goods, but act as agents and brokers for a commission. Although, in general, wholesaling normally denotes sales in large volumes, durable nonconsumer goods may be sold in single units. Sales of capital or durable nonconsumer goods used in the production of goods and services, such as farm machinery, medium- and heavy-duty trucks, and industrial machinery, are always included in wholesale trade. |
| 423 | Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods subsector sell capital or durable goods to other businesses. Merchant wholesalers generally take title to the goods that they sell; in other words, they buy and sell goods on their own account. Durable goods are new or used items generally with a normal life expectancy of three years or more. Durable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as motor vehicles, furniture, construction materials, machinery and equipment (including household-type appliances), metals and minerals (except petroleum), sporting goods, toys and hobby goods, recyclable materials, and parts. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling durable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4234 | Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of photographic equipment and supplies; office, computer, and computer peripheral equipment; and medical, dental, hospital, ophthalmic, and other commercial and professional equipment and supplies. |
| 42349 | Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423490. |
| 423490 | Other Professional Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of professional equipment and supplies (except ophthalmic goods and medical, dental, and hospital equipment and supplies). Illustrative Examples: Church supplies (except silverware, plated ware) merchant wholesalers School equipment and supplies (except books, furniture) merchant wholesalers Drafting tables and instruments merchant wholesalers Scientific instruments merchant wholesalers Laboratory equipment (except medical, dental) merchant wholesalers Surveying equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of professional equipment, instruments, and/or goods sold, prescribed, or used by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians, such as ophthalmic frames and lenses, and sunglasses--are classified in Industry 423460, Ophthalmic Goods Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of professional medical equipment, instruments, and supplies used by medical and dental practitioners (except ophthalmic equipment, instruments, and goods used by ophthalmologists, optometrists, and opticians) and medical facilities--are classified in Industry 423450, Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of silverware and plated flatware--are classified in Industry 423940, Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers;
- 04Merchant wholesale distribution of books--are classified in Industry 424920, Book, Periodical, and Newspaper Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 05Merchant wholesale distribution of school furniture--are classified in Industry 423210, Furniture Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Analytical instruments (e.g., chromatographic, photometers, spectrographs) merchant wholesalers
Architects' equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Balances and scales, laboratory (except dental, medical), merchant wholesalers
Barometers merchant wholesalers
Blackboards merchant wholesalers
Chemical and technical pottery products merchant wholesalers
Church supplies (except plated ware, silverware) merchant wholesalers
Drafting instruments merchant wholesalers
Drafting tables merchant wholesalers
Engineers' equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Instruments, professional and scientific, merchant wholesalers
Laboratory equipment (except dental, medical, ophthalmic) merchant wholesalers
Professional equipment and supplies (except dental, medical, ophthalmic) merchant wholesalers
Professional furniture (except dental, metal, ophthalmic, and school) merchant wholesalers
Professional instruments merchant wholesalers
Religious supplies merchant wholesalers
Scales, laboratory (except dental and medical), merchant wholesalers
School equipment and supplies (except books, furniture) merchant wholesalers
Scientific instruments merchant wholesalers
Scientific laboratory equipment merchant wholesalers
Smartboards merchant wholesalers
Statuary, religious, merchant wholesalers
Surveying equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Teaching machines (except computers), electronic, merchant wholesalers
Vestments, religious, merchant wholesalers
Veterinarians' equipment and supplies merchant wholesalers
Wall maps merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
Provides predictive analytics on market trends and equipment demand fluctuations, enabling strategic restocking and optimized pricing strategies to maximize margins in a competitive wholesale sector.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423490.
National Equipment and Machinery Wholesalers Association
Leading trade association representing wholesalers of equipment including medical, dental, and laboratory machinery.
NAICS Definition: Professional Equipment and Supplies
Official US Bureau of Labor Statistics page defining the scope and characteristics of the 423490 industry code.
Medical Equipment Dealers Association
Industry directory and advocacy group supporting medical, dental, and laboratory equipment wholesale professionals.
