Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of household-type gas and electric appliances (except water heaters and heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)), room air-conditioners, and/or household-type audio or video equipment. Illustrative Examples: Household-type sewing machines merchant wholesalers Household-type radios (including automotive) merchant wholesalers Household-type video cameras merchant wholesalers Household-type refrigerators merchant wholesalers Television sets merchant wholesalers Toothbrushes, electric, merchant wholesalers Curling irons, electric, 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. |
| 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. |
| 42362 | Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423620. |
| 423620 | Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of household-type gas and electric appliances (except water heaters and heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)), room air-conditioners, and/or household-type audio or video equipment. Illustrative Examples: Household-type sewing machines merchant wholesalers Household-type radios (including automotive) merchant wholesalers Household-type video cameras merchant wholesalers Household-type refrigerators merchant wholesalers Television sets merchant wholesalers Toothbrushes, electric, merchant wholesalers Curling irons, electric, merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of gas and electric water heaters and heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)--are classified in Industry 423720, Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies (Hydronics) Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of warm air heating and air-conditioning equipment (except room units)--are classified in Industry 423730, Warm Air Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 03Selling and installing warm air heating and air-conditioning equipment--are classified in Industry 238220, Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors;
- 04Merchant wholesale distribution of nonhousehold-type video cameras--are classified in Industry 423410, Photographic Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 05Selling video security systems and providing system installation, repair, or monitoring services (except closed-circuit (CCTV))--are classified in U.S. Industry 561621, Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths).
Index Items
Air-conditioners, room, merchant wholesalers
Appliances, household-type (except water heaters, heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)), gas and electric, merchant wholesalers
Audio equipment, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Automotive radios merchant wholesalers
Blankets, electric, merchant wholesalers
Clothes dryers merchant wholesalers
Coffee makers, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Compact disc players merchant wholesalers
Consumer electronics merchant wholesalers
Cooking equipment, gas and electric, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Curling irons, electric, merchant wholesalers
Digital video disc (DVD) players merchant wholesalers
Dishwashers, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Dryers, clothes, merchant wholesalers
Dryers, hair, merchant wholesalers
Electric blankets merchant wholesalers
Fans, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Freezers, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Garbage disposal units, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Hair dryers, personal, merchant wholesalers
Heaters, portable electric, merchant wholesalers
Household-type appliances (except water heaters, heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)), gas and electric, merchant wholesalers
Household-type laundry equipment (e.g., dryers, washers) merchant wholesalers
Housewares, gas and electric, merchant wholesalers
Humidifiers and dehumidifiers, portable, merchant wholesalers
Insect control devices, electric, merchant wholesalers
Irons, household-type, electric, merchant wholesalers
Kitchen appliances, household-type, gas and electric, merchant wholesalers
Laundry machinery and equipment, household-type (e.g., dryers, washers), merchant wholesalers
Microwave ovens, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Movie apparatus, home, merchant wholesalers
Outdoor grills merchant wholesalers
Ovens, gas and electric, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Personal care appliances, electric, merchant wholesalers
Radios, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Ranges, gas and electric, merchant wholesalers
Razors, electric, merchant wholesalers
Recorders (e.g., tape, video), household-type, merchant wholesalers
Refrigerators, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Room air-conditioners merchant wholesalers
Sewing machines, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Smoke detectors, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Sound equipment, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Speaker systems merchant wholesalers
Stereo equipment merchant wholesalers
Stoves, cooking, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Tape players and recorders, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Telephone answering machines merchant wholesalers
Television sets merchant wholesalers
Toasters, electric, merchant wholesalers
Toothbrushes, electric, merchant wholesalers
Trail video cameras, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Trash compactors, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Vacuum cleaners, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Video cameras, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Washing machines, household-type, merchant wholesalers
Wearable video cameras, household-type, merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
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External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423620.
National Association of Home Builders
Trade association providing resources and advocacy for home builders and appliance distributors.
U.S. Census Bureau Trade Data
Government source offering statistical data on wholesale trade industry performance.
WholesaleHub Industry Directory
Directory of wholesalers and distributors specializing in home appliances and consumer electronics.
