6-digit U.S. detail

Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers

Description

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of groceries and related products (except a general line of groceries; packaged frozen food; dairy products (except dried and canned); poultry products (except canned); confectioneries; fish and seafood (except canned); meat products (except canned); and fresh fruits and vegetables). Included in this industry are establishments primarily engaged in the bottling and merchant wholesale distribution of spring and mineral waters processed by others. Illustrative Examples: Bakery products (except frozen) merchant wholesalers Canned seafood merchant wholesalers Canned fish merchant wholesalers Canned vegetables merchant wholesalers Canned fruits merchant wholesalers Dried milk merchant wholesalers Canned meats merchant wholesalers Soft drinks merchant wholesalers Canned milk 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.
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.
42449	Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers 5-digit NAICS industry	See industry description for 424490.
424490	Other Grocery and Related Products Merchant Wholesalers 6-digit U.S. detail	This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in the merchant wholesale distribution of groceries and related products (except a general line of groceries; packaged frozen food; dairy products (except dried and canned); poultry products (except canned); confectioneries; fish and seafood (except canned); meat products (except canned); and fresh fruits and vegetables). Included in this industry are establishments primarily engaged in the bottling and merchant wholesale distribution of spring and mineral waters processed by others. Illustrative Examples: Bakery products (except frozen) merchant wholesalers Canned seafood merchant wholesalers Canned fish merchant wholesalers Canned vegetables merchant wholesalers Canned fruits merchant wholesalers Dried milk merchant wholesalers Canned meats merchant wholesalers Soft drinks merchant wholesalers Canned milk merchant wholesalers

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Classification References

01Merchant wholesale distribution of grains, field beans, livestock, and other farm product raw materials--are classified in Industry Group 4245, Farm Product Raw Material Merchant Wholesalers;
02Merchant wholesale distribution of beer, wine, and distilled alcoholic beverages--are classified in Industry Group 4248, Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers;
03Manufacturing and bottling soft drinks--are classified in U.S. Industry 312111, Soft Drink Manufacturing;
04Merchant wholesale distribution of a general line of groceries--are classified in Industry 424410, General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers;
05Merchant wholesale distribution of packaged frozen foods (except dairy)--are classified in Industry 424420, Packaged Frozen Food Merchant Wholesalers;
06Merchant wholesale distribution of dairy products--are classified in Industry 424430, Dairy Product (except Dried or Canned) Merchant Wholesalers;
07Merchant wholesale distribution of poultry and poultry products (except canned and packaged frozen)--are classified in Industry 424440, Poultry and Poultry Product Merchant Wholesalers;
08Merchant wholesale distribution of confectioneries; salted or roasted nuts; popcorn; potato, corn, and similar chips; and/or fountain fruits and syrups--are classified in Industry 424450, Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers;
09Merchant wholesale distribution of fish and seafood (except canned and packaged frozen)--are classified in Industry 424460, Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers;
10Merchant wholesale distribution of meats (except canned and packaged frozen)--are classified in Industry 424470, Meat and Meat Product Merchant Wholesalers;
11Merchant wholesale distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables--are classified in Industry 424480, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Merchant Wholesalers;
12Purifying and bottling water--are classified in U.S. Industry 312112, Bottled Water Manufacturing; and
13Roasting coffee--are classified in Industry 311920, Coffee and Tea Manufacturing.

Index Items

Baby foods, canned, merchant wholesalers

Bakery products (except frozen) merchant wholesalers

Beans, dry edible, merchant wholesalers

Beverage bases merchant wholesalers

Beverage concentrates merchant wholesalers

Bottled water (except water treating) merchant wholesalers

Bread, packaged (except frozen), merchant wholesalers

Breakfast cereals merchant wholesalers

Brewers' yeast merchant wholesalers

Butter substitutes merchant wholesalers

Cane sugar, refined, merchant wholesalers

Canned foods (e.g., fish, meat, seafood, soups) merchant wholesalers

Carbonated beverages merchant wholesalers

Cereal products merchant wholesalers

Cheese, imitation or substitute, merchant wholesalers

Chocolate (except candy) merchant wholesalers

Chocolate coatings merchant wholesalers

Chocolate syrups (except fountain) merchant wholesalers

Coffee merchant wholesalers

Cookies merchant wholesalers

Cooking oils merchant wholesalers

Corn milling products (except pet and livestock feeds) merchant wholesalers

Cornmeal, edible, merchant wholesalers

Crackers merchant wholesalers

Creamery products, canned, merchant wholesalers

Dairy products, dried or canned, merchant wholesalers

Dessert powders merchant wholesalers

Dried foods (e.g., fruits, milk, vegetables) merchant wholesalers

Egg substitutes merchant wholesalers

Fish, canned, merchant wholesalers

Flavoring extracts (except for fountain use) merchant wholesalers

Flour merchant wholesalers

Fruits, canned, merchant wholesalers

Gelatin, edible, merchant wholesalers

Health foods (except fresh fruits, vegetables) merchant wholesalers

Honey merchant wholesalers

Hop extract merchant wholesalers

Ice cream cones merchant wholesalers

Jellies and jams merchant wholesalers

Juices, canned or fresh, merchant wholesalers

Macaroni merchant wholesalers

Malt extract merchant wholesalers

Malt merchant wholesalers

Maple syrup merchant wholesalers

Margarine merchant wholesalers

Marmalade merchant wholesalers

Meats, canned, merchant wholesalers

Milk substitutes merchant wholesalers

Milk, canned or dried, merchant wholesalers

Mixes (e.g., cake, dessert, pie) merchant wholesalers

Molasses merchant wholesalers

Nondairy creamers merchant wholesalers

Nondairy milk merchant wholesalers

Nondairy yogurt merchant wholesalers

Oils, cooking and salad, merchant wholesalers

Pet food merchant wholesalers

Pizzas (except frozen) merchant wholesalers

Poultry, canned, merchant wholesalers

Prepared foods (except frozen) merchant wholesalers

Pretzels (except frozen) merchant wholesalers

Rice, polished, merchant wholesalers

Salad dressings merchant wholesalers

Salad oils merchant wholesalers

Salt, table, merchant wholesalers

Sandwiches merchant wholesalers

Sausage casings merchant wholesalers

Seafood, canned, merchant wholesalers

Shortening, vegetable, merchant wholesalers

Soft drinks merchant wholesalers

Soups (except frozen) merchant wholesalers

Spaghetti merchant wholesalers

Spices merchant wholesalers

Sport energy drinks merchant wholesalers

Sugar, refined, merchant wholesalers

Syrup (except fountain) merchant wholesalers

Tea merchant wholesalers

Toppings (except fountain) merchant wholesalers

Vegetables, canned, merchant wholesalers

Water, bottled (except water treating), merchant wholesalers

Yeast merchant wholesalers

How Item Can Help

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External Resources

Census.gov NAICS Detail

Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 424490.

National Grocers Association

Industry association representing wholesale grocery operations and food suppliers.

WholesaleGrocer.com

Industry publication providing news, product listings, and trade resources for grocery wholesalers.

NAICS Code Definition

Official US Census Bureau page defining the 424490 category and its scope.

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