Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of stationery, office supplies, and/or gift wrap. Illustrative Examples: Photocopy supplies merchant wholesalers Envelopes merchant wholesalers Social stationery merchant wholesalers File cards and folders merchant wholesalers Greeting cards merchant wholesalers Office paper (e.g., printer, copier) merchant wholesalers Writing pens merchant wholesalers Pencils 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. |
| 424 | Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods subsector sell nondurable goods to other businesses. Nondurable goods are items generally with a normal life expectancy of less than three years. Nondurable goods merchant wholesale trade establishments are engaged in wholesaling products, such as paper and paper products, chemicals and chemical products, drugs, textiles and textile products, apparel, footwear, groceries, farm products, petroleum and petroleum products, alcoholic beverages, books, magazines, newspapers, flowers and nursery stock, and tobacco products. The detailed industries within the subsector are organized in the classification structure based on the products sold. Agents and brokers primarily engaged in wholesaling nondurable goods, generally on a commission or fee basis, are classified in Subsector 425, Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers. |
| 4241 | Paper and Paper Product Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of bulk printing and writing paper; stationery and office supplies; and industrial and personal service paper. |
| 42412 | Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 424120. |
| 424120 | Stationery and Office Supplies Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of stationery, office supplies, and/or gift wrap. Illustrative Examples: Photocopy supplies merchant wholesalers Envelopes merchant wholesalers Social stationery merchant wholesalers File cards and folders merchant wholesalers Greeting cards merchant wholesalers Office paper (e.g., printer, copier) merchant wholesalers Writing pens merchant wholesalers Pencils merchant wholesalers |
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Classification References
- 01Establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of bulk printing and/or writing paper are classified in Industry 424110, Printing and Writing Paper Merchant Wholesalers.
Index Items
Albums, photo, merchant wholesalers
Binders, looseleaf, merchant wholesalers
Blankbooks merchant wholesalers
Books, sales or receipt, merchant wholesalers
Cards, greeting, merchant wholesalers
Cartridge toner merchant wholesalers
Cellophane tape merchant wholesalers
Commercial stationery supplies merchant wholesalers
Computer paper supplies merchant wholesalers
Desk accessories, office, merchant wholesalers
Envelopes merchant wholesalers
File cards and folders merchant wholesalers
Filler paper, looseleaf, merchant wholesalers
Folders, file, merchant wholesalers
Forms, paper (e.g., business, office, sales), merchant wholesalers
Gift wrapping paper merchant wholesalers
Greeting cards merchant wholesalers
Gummed tapes, cellophane, merchant wholesalers
Ink, writing, merchant wholesalers
Inked ribbons merchant wholesalers
Inks, pastes, and solvents, office, merchant wholesalers
Looseleaf binders merchant wholesalers
Manifold business forms merchant wholesalers
Marking devices merchant wholesalers
Notebooks merchant wholesalers
Office supplies (except furniture, machines) merchant wholesalers
Paper, office (e.g., printer, copier), merchant wholesalers
Pencils merchant wholesalers
Pens, writing, merchant wholesalers
Photo albums merchant wholesalers
Photocopy supplies merchant wholesalers
Postcards merchant wholesalers
Printing paper (except bulk) merchant wholesalers
Receipt books merchant wholesalers
Ribbons, inked, merchant wholesalers
Rubber stamps merchant wholesalers
Sales books merchant wholesalers
Scrapbooks merchant wholesalers
Social stationery merchant wholesalers
Stationery supplies merchant wholesalers
Tapes, cellophane, merchant wholesalers
Toner cartridges merchant wholesalers
Typewriter paper merchant wholesalers
Writing paper (except bulk) merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
Analyzes purchasing trends and seasonal demand patterns to predict stock levels, allowing suppliers to proactively adjust production and procurement strategies.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 424120.
National Stationery, Office Products and Packaging Association
The primary trade association for wholesale suppliers in the US paper and office supply industry.
Small Business Administration - Office Supply Wholesale
Official US government page providing business planning resources for starting or managing an office supply wholesale business.
ProMises - Merchant Wholesalers of Stationery and Office Supplies
An industry directory directory listing verified US companies classified under NAICS 424120.
