Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of jewelry, precious and semiprecious stones, precious metals and metal flatware, costume jewelry, watches, clocks, silverware, and/or jewelers' findings.
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. |
| 4239 | Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of sporting, recreational, toy, hobby, and jewelry goods and supplies, and precious stones and metals. |
| 42394 | Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423940. |
| 423940 | Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of jewelry, precious and semiprecious stones, precious metals and metal flatware, costume jewelry, watches, clocks, silverware, and/or jewelers' findings. |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of precious metal ores or concentrates--are classified in Industry 423520, Coal and Other Mineral and Ore Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of nonprecious flatware--are classified in Industry 423220, Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Antique jewelry merchant wholesalers
Clocks merchant wholesalers
Coins merchant wholesalers
Costume jewelry merchant wholesalers
Diamonds (except industrial) merchant wholesalers
Flatware, precious and plated, merchant wholesalers
Gem stones merchant wholesalers
Hollowware, precious metal, merchant wholesalers
Ingots, precious, merchant wholesalers
Jewelers' findings merchant wholesalers
Jewelry merchant wholesalers
Medallions merchant wholesalers
Metals, precious, merchant wholesalers
Numismatic goods merchant wholesalers
Pearls merchant wholesalers
Plated metal cutlery or flatware merchant wholesalers
Precious and semiprecious stones merchant wholesalers
Precious metals merchant wholesalers
Silverware, precious and plated, merchant wholesalers
Stones, precious and semiprecious, merchant wholesalers
Tableware, precious and plated, merchant wholesalers
Trophies merchant wholesalers
Watchcases merchant wholesalers
Watches and parts merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
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Advanced analytics identify theft patterns and demand fluctuations for precious metals, helping businesses optimize stock levels and detect unusual sales activity that indicates potential inventory shrinkage.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423940.
Jewelry Dealers Association
A non-profit trade association representing wholesale and retail jewelry retailers in the US and Canada.
Wholesale Jewelry Buyers
A directory connecting jewelry wholesalers with buyers for gold, silver, and gemstones.
Customs and Border Protection - Jewelry Import Data
A US government page providing statistics and regulations on the import of precious metals and stones.
