We've
all heard the term many times, but do we actually know what it means?
In the dictionary (dictionary.com), you will find the definition of
wholesale as:
1.
the sale of goods in quantity, as to retailers or jobbers, for resale
(opposed to retail).
2.
of, relating to, or engaged in sale by wholesale.
3. in
a wholesale way; on wholesale terms
Looking
at number 1, we see the sale of goods in quantity. That's typically
what we think of when we hear the word wholesale. Of course, others
might see it as cheaper prices, buying factory direct, or heavily
discounted. Furthermore, some will get skeptical when they hear the
word. From here on out, we will use the term wholesale to mean buying
in quantity. That's what it says in the dictionary.
Searching for
wholesale in the major search engines is a complete mess. The reason
for this is simple, the search engines do not know what wholesale is
either! On top of that, search engines list companies that advertise.
Most wholesalers do not advertise much. Search engines also rank
websites on link popularity. When we searched for "wholesale"
on Google, we found sites like Costco and Ebay on the first page.
Ebay does offer wholesale items, but last time we checked they were
primarily auctions.
On the other hand, we are now seeing more and
more wholesalers to the general public. Stores like Costco, BJ's
Wholesale, and Boxed.com are seeing very high demand. People like the
idea of buying certain items in bulk (or wholesale). Products like
batteries, personal care items, cleaning supplies, foods and
beverages, flowers and other household and office items offer an
appealing way of buying wholesale. Many are just learning that these
companies exist online too. However, they can be super hard to find
because of all the Small Business Wholesalers available.
Most
people think of wholesale as just a business term, but we see that
transforming today. On the business side, we see the word wholesale
being used in numerous ways as well - a lot of times trying to trick
the consumer into thinking they're getting a better price. You have
to be careful when looking for legitimate business wholesalers, but
there are plenty of good ones out there. Some wholesalers might even
provide their pricing as single items, but require a minimum order.
This is basically the same thing as buying wholesale, only you get to
choose a variety of products for a lesser total. For example, I can
buy 3 of item A, 2 of item B and 5 of item C, but I have to spend a
total of $300.
Today
you will find businesses offering wholesale to both retailers and the
general public. As you can see, wholesale, can mean several different
things. To keep it simple, we define it as buying in quantity, or
bulk. Remember, buying wholesale doesn't always mean you're getting
the best deal. You need to research companies first to find out how
they use the term wholesale. Do some deep searching and you'll
definitely find a few golden nuggets for both public and business
use!
