Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of electronic parts and equipment (except electrical apparatus and equipment, wiring supplies, and construction materials; electrical and electronic appliances; and television sets and radios). Illustrative Examples: Blank compact discs (CDs) merchant wholesalers Blank digital video discs (DVDs) merchant wholesalers Broadcasting equipment merchant wholesalers Cellular telephones merchant wholesalers Communications equipment merchant wholesalers Modems and routers merchant wholesalers Radar equipment merchant wholesalers Teleconferencing equipment merchant wholesalers Unloaded computer boards 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. |
| 42369 | Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423690. |
| 423690 | Other Electronic Parts and Equipment Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of electronic parts and equipment (except electrical apparatus and equipment, wiring supplies, and construction materials; electrical and electronic appliances; and television sets and radios). Illustrative Examples: Blank compact discs (CDs) merchant wholesalers Blank digital video discs (DVDs) merchant wholesalers Broadcasting equipment merchant wholesalers Cellular telephones merchant wholesalers Communications equipment merchant wholesalers Modems and routers merchant wholesalers Radar equipment merchant wholesalers Teleconferencing equipment merchant wholesalers Unloaded computer boards merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of household-type gas and electric appliances (except water heaters and heating stoves (i.e., noncooking)), room air-conditioners, clothes dryers, and/or household-type audio or video equipment--are classified in Industry 423620, Household Appliances, Electric Housewares, and Consumer Electronics Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of computers, computer peripheral equipment, and loaded computer boards--are classified in Industry 423430, Computer and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of electrical construction materials, wiring supplies, electric light fixtures, light bulbs, and/or electrical power equipment for generation, transmission, distribution, or control of electric energy--are classified in Industry 423610, Electrical Apparatus and Equipment, Wiring Supplies, and Related Equipment Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Amplifiers, audio (except household-type), merchant wholesalers
Antennas merchant wholesalers
Audiotapes, blank, merchant wholesalers
Automatic call distributors merchant wholesalers
Bipolar transistors merchant wholesalers
Blank CDs and DVDs merchant wholesalers
Blank diskettes merchant wholesalers
Blank tapes, audio and video, merchant wholesalers
Broadcasting equipment merchant wholesalers
Capacitors, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Carbon monoxide detectors, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Cellular telephones merchant wholesalers
Circuit boards merchant wholesalers
Circuits, integrated, merchant wholesalers
Citizens' band (CB) radios merchant wholesalers
Coils, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Communications equipment merchant wholesalers
Computer boards, unloaded, merchant wholesalers
Computer chips merchant wholesalers
Condensers, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Connectors, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Diodes merchant wholesalers
Diskettes, blank, merchant wholesalers
Electronic aircraft instruments merchant wholesalers
Electronic communications equipment merchant wholesalers
Electronic parts (e.g., condensers, connectors, switches) merchant wholesalers
Electronic sound equipment (except household-type and automotive) merchant wholesalers
Electronic tubes (e.g., industrial, receiving, transmitting) merchant wholesalers
Facsimile machines merchant wholesalers
Integrated circuits merchant wholesalers
Klystron tubes merchant wholesalers
Liquid crystal displays merchant wholesalers
Magnetic bubble memories merchant wholesalers
Magnetic tapes, cassettes, and disks, blank, merchant wholesalers
Modems merchant wholesalers
Natural gas detectors, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Navigational instruments, electronic (e.g., radar, sonar), merchant wholesalers
Printed circuit boards merchant wholesalers
Public address systems and equipment merchant wholesalers
Radar equipment merchant wholesalers
Radio frequency identification (RFID) equipment merchant wholesalers
Radio parts and accessories (e.g., transistors, tubes) merchant wholesalers
Radios (except household-type) merchant wholesalers
Random access memory (RAM) chips merchant wholesalers
Rectifiers, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Resistors, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Routers merchant wholesalers
Semiconductor devices merchant wholesalers
Smartphones merchant wholesalers
Smartwatches merchant wholesalers
Solar cells merchant wholesalers
Sonar equipment merchant wholesalers
Switches, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Tapes, blank, audio and video, merchant wholesalers
Telecommunications equipment merchant wholesalers
Teleconferencing equipment, audio or video, merchant wholesalers
Telegraph equipment merchant wholesalers
Telephone equipment merchant wholesalers
Telephones merchant wholesalers
Touch-screen displays (except computer monitors) merchant wholesalers
Transformers, electronic, merchant wholesalers
Transistors merchant wholesalers
Transmitters merchant wholesalers
Tubes, electronic (e.g., industrial, receiving, transmitting), merchant wholesalers
Unloaded computer boards merchant wholesalers
Video tapes, blank, merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
WMS optimizes warehouse space for diverse electronic parts by automating storage and retrieval systems, ensuring high-value inventory remains secure and accessible for rapid order fulfillment.
OMS integrates sales channels to consolidate fragmented orders from retailers and repair shops, streamlining inventory allocation to prevent overselling and reduce lead times for just-in-time deliveries.
Data Intelligence predicts fluctuating demand for specific electronic components using market analytics, allowing distributors to adjust stock levels proactively and negotiate better supplier terms based on real-time insights.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423690.
National Association of Electronics and Computer Distributors
Industry trade association representing large electronics distributors and their supply chain partners.
Wholesale Electronic Goods Association of America (WE-GAA)
National trade association focused on wholesale distribution of electronics, computer, and office equipment.
U.S. Small Business Administration - Electronics Wholesale Directory
Government resource providing a list of registered wholesale businesses including those in the electronics parts category.
