
Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of electrical construction materials; wiring supplies; electric light fixtures; light bulbs; and/or electrical power equipment for the generation, transmission, distribution, or control of electric energy.
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. |
| 4236 | Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of electrical apparatus and equipment, wiring supplies, and related equipment; household appliances, electric housewares, and consumer electronics; and other electronic parts and equipment. |
| 42361 | Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423610. |
| 423610 | Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of electrical construction materials; wiring supplies; electric light fixtures; light bulbs; and/or electrical power equipment for the generation, transmission, distribution, or control of electric energy. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Index Items
Alarm apparatus, electric, merchant wholesalers
Batteries (except automotive) merchant wholesalers
Boxes and fittings, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Bus bars and trolley ducts merchant wholesalers
Capacitors (except electronic) merchant wholesalers
Circuit breakers merchant wholesalers
Coaxial cable merchant wholesalers
Conduit, electric wire and cable, merchant wholesalers
Conduits and raceways, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Connectors, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Construction materials, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Current-carrying wiring devices merchant wholesalers
Distribution equipment, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Electric light fixtures merchant wholesalers
Electric motors, wiring supplies, and lighting fixtures merchant wholesalers
Electric prime movers merchant wholesalers
Electrical apparatus merchant wholesalers
Fastening devices, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Fittings, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Fixtures, electric lighting, merchant wholesalers
Flashlights merchant wholesalers
Fuses, electric, merchant wholesalers
Generators, electrical (except motor vehicle), merchant wholesalers
Hanging devices, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Hardware, transmission pole and line, merchant wholesalers
Industrial controls, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Instruments, electric measuring, merchant wholesalers
Insulated wire or cable merchant wholesalers
Insulators, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Light bulbs merchant wholesalers
Lighting fixtures, electric, merchant wholesalers
Lightning arrestors merchant wholesalers
Lugs and connectors, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Meters, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Motor controls, electric, merchant wholesalers
Motors, electric, merchant wholesalers
Panelboards, electric power distribution, merchant wholesalers
Pole line hardware merchant wholesalers
Power transmission equipment, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Receptacles, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Regulators, voltage (except motor vehicle), merchant wholesalers
Relays merchant wholesalers
Security systems merchant wholesalers
Signal systems and devices merchant wholesalers
Storage batteries (except automotive) merchant wholesalers
Switchboards, electrical distribution, merchant wholesalers
Switches, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Transformers (except electronic) merchant wholesalers
Transmission equipment, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Unit substations, electrical, merchant wholesalers
Voltage regulators (except motor vehicle) merchant wholesalers
Wire, insulated, merchant wholesalers
Wiring supplies merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes storage of high-value electrical components by tracking lot numbers and expiration dates, reducing shrinkage and ensuring compliance with industry safety standards.
The Order Management System aggregates orders from various distributors and retailers to streamline fulfillment, reducing lead times for complex wiring supply orders and improving customer satisfaction.
Advanced analytics identify demand patterns for seasonal electrical equipment, enabling proactive inventory adjustments and forecasting to prevent stockouts during peak construction seasons.