Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers
Description
This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of confectioneries; salted or roasted nuts; popcorn; potato, corn, and similar chips; and/or fountain fruits and syrups.
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. |
| 4244 | Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of (1) a general line of groceries; (2) packaged frozen food; (3) dairy products; (4) poultry and poultry products; (5) confectioneries; (6) fish and seafood; (7) meats and meat products; (8) fresh fruits and vegetables; and (9) other grocery and related products. |
| 42445 | Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry | See industry description for 424450. |
| 424450 | Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of confectioneries; salted or roasted nuts; popcorn; potato, corn, and similar chips; and/or fountain fruits and syrups. |
Need a supply chain stack that maps to this industry?
Use this NAICS classification as the starting point, then connect it to Item workflows across inventory, warehousing, order management, fulfillment, and transportation.
Classification References
- 01Merchant wholesale distribution of frozen pretzels--are classified in Industry 424420, Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers;
- 02Merchant wholesale distribution of pretzels (except frozen) or soft drinks--are classified in Industry 424490, Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers; and
- 03Manufacturing and bottling soft drinks--are classified in U.S. Industry 312111, Soft Drink Manufacturing.
Index Items
Candy merchant wholesalers
Cheese confections (e.g., curls, puffs) merchant wholesalers
Chewing gum merchant wholesalers
Chips (e.g., corn, potato) merchant wholesalers
Chocolate candy merchant wholesalers
Concentrates, fountain (except soft drink), merchant wholesalers
Confectionery merchant wholesalers
Corn chips and related corn snacks merchant wholesalers
Fountain fruits and syrups (except soft drink) merchant wholesalers
Fountain syrups (except soft drink) merchant wholesalers
Fruit concentrates, fountain, merchant wholesalers
Gum, chewing, merchant wholesalers
Nuts (e.g., canned, roasted, salted) merchant wholesalers
Popcorn merchant wholesalers
Potato chips and related snacks merchant wholesalers
Seeds (e.g., canned, roasted, salted) merchant wholesalers
Syrups, fountain (except soft drink), merchant wholesalers
Toppings, fountain, merchant wholesalers
How Item Can Help
This reduces waste from expired items while ensuring accurate inventory counts for wholesale distribution.
This capability allows businesses to handle high-volume orders efficiently and minimize errors in product allocation.
Wholesalers can then adjust stock levels proactively, reducing the risk of overstocking or stockouts during seasonal rushes.
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 424450.
Confectionery Distributors Association
A major US trade association for wholesale confectionery suppliers that provides industry news and resources.
USDA FoodData Central
A government database offering detailed nutritional data for specific confectionery products like chocolate and candy bars.
National Confectioners Association
The primary trade group for US manufacturers and retailers, offering certification programs and market research for the confectionery sector.
