Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of durable goods (except motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and supplies; furniture and home furnishings; lumber and other construction materials; professional and commercial equipment and supplies; metals and minerals (except petroleum); electrical goods; hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies; machinery, equipment, and supplies; sporting and recreational goods and supplies; toy and hobby goods and supplies; recyclable materials; and jewelry, watches, precious stones, and precious metals). Illustrative Examples: Firearms (except sporting) merchant wholesalers Musical instruments merchant wholesalers Luggage merchant wholesalers Monuments and grave markers merchant wholesalers Prerecorded compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs) merchant wholesalers Timber and timber products (except lumber) merchant wholesalers Personal safety devices and supplies (e.g., eye shields, face shields, nonelectric respirators) merchant wholesalers Signs (except electrical) 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. |
| 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. |
| 42399 | Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 423990. |
| 423990 | Other Miscellaneous Durable Goods Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of durable goods (except motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts and supplies; furniture and home furnishings; lumber and other construction materials; professional and commercial equipment and supplies; metals and minerals (except petroleum); electrical goods; hardware, and plumbing and heating equipment and supplies; machinery, equipment, and supplies; sporting and recreational goods and supplies; toy and hobby goods and supplies; recyclable materials; and jewelry, watches, precious stones, and precious metals). Illustrative Examples: Firearms (except sporting) merchant wholesalers Musical instruments merchant wholesalers Luggage merchant wholesalers Monuments and grave markers merchant wholesalers Prerecorded compact discs (CDs) and digital video discs (DVDs) merchant wholesalers Timber and timber products (except lumber) merchant wholesalers Personal safety devices and supplies (e.g., eye shields, face shields, nonelectric respirators) merchant wholesalers Signs (except electrical) merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of automobiles and other motor vehicles, motor vehicle supplies, tires, and new and used parts--are classified in Industry Group 4231, Motor Vehicle and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of furniture and home furnishings--are classified in Industry Group 4232, Furniture and Home Furnishing Merchant Wholesalers;
- 03Merchant wholesale distribution of lumber, plywood, millwork, wood panels, brick, stone, roofing, siding, and other nonelectrical construction materials--are classified in Industry Group 4233, Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers;
- 04Merchant wholesale distribution of photographic, office, computer and computer peripheral, medical, dental, hospital, ophthalmic, and other commercial and professional equipment and supplies--are classified in Industry Group 4234, Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 05Merchant wholesale distribution of coal and other minerals and ores and semi-finished metal products--are classified in Industry Group 4235, Metal and Mineral (except Petroleum) Merchant Wholesalers;
- 06Merchant wholesale distribution of household appliances and electrical goods--are classified in Industry Group 4236, Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers;
- 07Merchant wholesale distribution of hardware; and plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration equipment and supplies--are classified in Industry Group 4237, Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 08Merchant wholesale distribution of construction, mining, farm, garden, industrial, service establishment, and transportation machinery, equipment, and supplies--are classified in Industry Group 4238, Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 09Merchant wholesale distribution of sporting goods and accessories; billiard and pool supplies; sporting firearms and ammunition; and/or marine pleasure craft, equipment, and supplies--are classified in Industry 423910, Sporting and Recreational Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 10Merchant wholesale distribution of toys, fireworks, playing cards, hobby goods and supplies and/or related goods--are classified in Industry 423920, Toy and Hobby Goods and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers;
- 11Merchant wholesale distribution of automotive, industrial, and other recyclable materials--are classified in Industry 423930, Recyclable Material Merchant Wholesalers;
- 12Merchant wholesale distribution of jewelry, precious and semiprecious stones, precious metals and metal flatware, costume jewelry, watches, clocks, silverware, and/or jewelers' findings--are classified in Industry 423940, Jewelry, Watch, Precious Stone, and Precious Metal Merchant Wholesalers;
- 13Merchant wholesale distribution of electrical signs--are classified in Industry 423440, Other Commercial Equipment Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 14Selling and installing fire suppression systems and fire extinguishers--are classified in Industry 238220, Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors.
Index Items
Ammunition (except sporting) merchant wholesalers
Audio and video tapes and disks, prerecorded, merchant wholesalers
Billboards merchant wholesalers
Briefcases merchant wholesalers
Bulletproof vests merchant wholesalers
Cassettes, prerecorded audio and video, merchant wholesalers
Coin- or card-operated game machines merchant wholesalers
Compact discs (CDs), prerecorded, merchant wholesalers
Digital video discs (DVDs), prerecorded, merchant wholesalers
Extinguishers, fire, merchant wholesalers
Fire extinguisher sales combined with rental and/or service, merchant wholesalers
Fire extinguishers merchant wholesalers
Firearms (except sporting) merchant wholesalers
Firewood merchant wholesalers
Forest products (except lumber) merchant wholesalers
Games, coin- or card-operated, merchant wholesalers
Gas lighting fixtures merchant wholesalers
General merchandise, durable goods, merchant wholesalers
Guns (except sporting) merchant wholesalers
Instruments, musical, merchant wholesalers
Lighting equipment, gas, merchant wholesalers
Logs merchant wholesalers
Luggage merchant wholesalers
Mailboxes merchant wholesalers
Monuments and grave markers merchant wholesalers
Musical instrument accessories and supplies merchant wholesalers
Musical instruments merchant wholesalers
Musical recordings (e.g., compact discs, records, tapes) merchant wholesalers
Ordnance and accessories merchant wholesalers
Personal safety devices and supplies (e.g., eye shields, face shields, nonelectric respirators) merchant wholesalers
Phonograph records merchant wholesalers
Prerecorded audio and video tapes and discs merchant wholesalers
Pulpwood merchant wholesalers
Railroad ties, wood, merchant wholesalers
Roundwood merchant wholesalers
Safety deposit boxes merchant wholesalers
Signs (except electrical) merchant wholesalers
Suitcases merchant wholesalers
Synthetic or artificial turf merchant wholesalers
Tapes, prerecorded, audio or video, merchant wholesalers
Ties, wood, merchant wholesalers
Timber and timber products (except lumber) merchant wholesalers
Tombstones merchant wholesalers
Video tapes, prerecorded, merchant wholesalers
Wood products (e.g., chips, posts, shavings, ties) merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
The Warehouse Management System optimizes inventory levels by tracking stock across multiple distribution centers, ensuring high-turnover items like electronics are never out of stock while reducing excess inventory costs.
The Order Management System consolidates orders from diverse online channels into a single view, enabling faster fulfillment processing and reducing order errors for complex, multi-branch shipments.
The Transportation Management System calculates optimal routes for heavy and fragile durable goods, cutting fuel costs and improving on-time delivery rates for nationwide wholesale clients.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 423990.
National Association of Home Builders
Provides resources and data for the home improvement materials supply chain, which includes durable goods wholesalers.
US Census Bureau
Official government data detailing the classification, definitions, and examples for NAICS 423990.
B2B Match
Industry directory providing a list of verified wholesale companies specializing in miscellaneous durable goods.
