Division Description
This division includes establishments or places of business primarily engaged in selling merchandise to retailers; to industrial, commercial, institutional, farm, construction contractors, or professional business users; or to other wholesalers; or acting as agents or brokers in buying merchandise for or selling merchandise to such persons or companies.
The chief functions of establishments included in Wholesale Trade are selling goods to trading establishments, or to industrial, commercial, institutional, farm, construction contractors, or professional business users; and bringing buyer and seller together. In addition to selling, functions frequently performed by wholesale establishments include maintaining inventories of goods; extending credit; physically assembling, sorting, and grading goods in large lots; breaking bulk and redistribution in smaller lots; delivery; refrigeration; and various types of promotion such as advertising and label designing.
The principal types of establishments included are: (1) merchant wholesalers-wholesalers who take title to the goods they sell, such as wholesale merchants or jobbers, industrial distributors, voluntary group wholesalers, exporters, importers, cash-and-carry wholesalers, drop shippers, truck distributors, retailer cooperative warehouses, terminal elevators, cooperative buying associations, and assemblers, buyers or cooperatives engaged in the marketing of farm products; (2) sales branches and sales offices (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 (3) agents, merchandise or commodity brokers, and commission merchants.
Establishments primarily engaged in selling merchandise to construction contractors, institutions, industrial users, or businesses are included in Wholesale Trade with a few exceptions. These exceptions are made necessary because of sales to both the general public for personal or household consumption and to businesses, industrial users, or construction contractors. These exceptions are lumber yards; paint, glass, and wallpaper stores, typewriter stores; stationery stores; and gasoline service stations which are classified in Retail Trade, Division G.
However, establishments that sell similar products only to institutions, industrial users, and establishments that sell merchandise for use exclusively by business establishments or to other wholesalers are classified in Wholesale Trade. Establishments primarily engaged in selling such merchandise as plumbing equipment; electrical supplies; used automobile parts; and office furniture are classified in Wholesale Trade, even if a higher proportion of their sales is made to individuals for household use. Establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution of used products are classified on the basis of the products sold.
Guidelines for the classification of establishments primarily engaged in the wholesale distribution and construction or installation of equipment manufactured by other establishments are outlined in the Introduction to Division C, Construction.
IBISWorld Industry Research Report
Wholesale Trade in the US (42)
Revenue 2025
$11850.2bn
Growth 2025
1.01%
Key Trends
Price increases should slow and sector-wide revenue will expand
Demand for wholesale goods is determined primarily by the overall economy's performance
Retail demand will rise, driven by low unemployment figures
Products and Services
US-SIC Hierarchy F - Wholesale Trade
US-SIC Code F - Wholesale Trade sits in the 2-digit Wholesale Trade sector. US SIC codes can be 2 to 8 digits and the further along the hierarchy, the more detailed and specific the category will be.
Division: F
Division Title: Wholesale Trade
2 Digits 3 Digits 4 Digits
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501 Motor Vehicles and Motor Vehicle Parts and Supplies
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502 Furniture and Home Furnishings
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503 Lumber and Other Construction Materials
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504 Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies
- 5043 Photographic Equipment and Supplies
- 5044 Office Equipment
- 5045 Computers and Computer Peripheral Equipment and Software
- 5046 Commercial Equipment, Not Elsewhere Classified
- 5047 Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies
- 5048 Ophthalmic Goods
- 5049 Professional Equipment and Supplies, Not Elsewhere Classified
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505 Metals and Minerals, Except Petroleum
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506 Electrical Goods
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507 Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment
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508 Machinery, Equipment, and Supplies
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509 Miscellaneous Durable Goods
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511 Paper and Paper Products
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512 Drugs, Drug Proprietaries, and Druggists' Sundries
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513 Apparel, Piece Goods, and Notions
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514 Groceries and Related Products
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515 Farm-product Raw Materials
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516 Chemicals and Allied Products
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517 Petroleum and Petroleum Products
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518 Beer, Wine, and Distilled Alcoholic Beverages
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519 Miscellaneous Non-durable Goods
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Extended US-SIC Hierarchy for F - Wholesale Trade
For business marketing and targeting, US SIC Codes have been extended to provide more specific classifications within US-SIC F - Wholesale Trade. Extended US SIC Codes are being continuously updated to reflect the current business environment.
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US SIC Code Directory
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