Variant of NAICS 1997 - Labour Force Survey (LFS) Industries

7 - Services-Producing Sector

8 - Trade

41 - Wholesale Trade

This sector comprises establishments primarily engaged in wholesaling merchandise and providing related logistics, marketing and support services. The wholesaling process is generally an intermediate step in the distribution of merchandise; many wholesalers are therefore organized to sell merchandise in large quantities to retailers, and business and institutional clients. However, some wholesalers, in particular those that supply non-consumer capital goods, sell merchandise in single units to final users.

This sector recognizes two main types of wholesalers, that is, wholesale merchants and wholesale agents and brokers.

Wholesale Merchants

Wholesale merchants buy and sell merchandise on their own account, that is, they take title to the goods they sell. They generally operate from warehouse or office locations and they may ship from their own inventory or arrange for the shipment of goods directly from the supplier to the client. In addition to the sale of goods, they may provide, or arrange for the provision of, logistics, marketing and support services, such as packaging and labelling, inventory management, shipping, handling of warranty claims, in-store or co-op promotions, and product training. Dealers of machinery and equipment, such as dealers of farm machinery and heavy-duty trucks, also fall within this category.

Wholesale merchants are known by a variety of trade designations depending on their relationship with suppliers or customers, or the distribution method they employ. Examples include wholesale merchants, wholesale distributors, drop shippers, rack-jobbers, import-export merchants, buying groups, dealer-owned cooperatives and banner wholesalers.

The first eight subsectors of wholesale trade comprise wholesale merchants. The grouping of these establishments into industry groups and industries is based on the merchandise line or lines supplied by the wholesaler.

Wholesale Agents and Brokers

Wholesale agents and brokers buy and sell merchandise owned by others on a fee or commission basis. They do not take title to the goods they buy or sell, and they generally operate at or from an office location.

Wholesale agents and brokers are known by a variety of trade designations including import-export agents, wholesale commission agents, wholesale brokers, and manufacturer's representatives and agents.

416 - Building Material and Supplies Wholesaler-Distributors

This subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in wholesaling electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment and supplies, metal and metal products, lumber, millwork, hardware and other building supplies.

4161 - Electrical, Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Wholesaler-Distributors

This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in wholesaling electrical construction supplies, and plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment and supplies.

41612 - Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Wholesaler-Distributors

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in wholesaling plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment and supplies.

• Exclusion(s):

  Establishments primarily engaged in:

  • retailing window-type air-conditioners (See 41422 Household Appliance Wholesaler-Distributors)
  • retailing plumbing fixtures and supplies (See 44419 Other Building Material Dealers)

416120 - Plumbing, Heating and Air-Conditioning Equipment and Supplies Wholesaler-Distributors

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in wholesaling plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment and supplies.

• Example Activities:

  • Air-conditioning equipment (except window type units), wholesale
  • Baseboard heaters, electric, non-portable, wholesale
  • Bath tubs and sinks, wholesale
  • Boilers (e.g., heating, hot water, power, steam), wholesale
  • Compressors, air-conditioning, wholesale
  • Condensing units, air-conditioning, wholesale
  • Drinking fountains, non-refrigerated, wholesale
  • Dust collecting equipment, wholesale
  • Electric furnaces, wholesale
  • Exhaust and air-moving equipment, wholesale
  • Fireplaces, metal, wholesale
  • Fixtures, plumbing, wholesale
  • Furnaces and heaters, wholesale
  • Gas and oil heating equipment, wholesale
  • Gas appliances and supplies, wholesale
  • Heat pumps, wholesale
  • Heating and cooking equipment, non-electric, wholesale
  • Hot water heaters, oil and gas, wholesale
  • Humidifiers and dehumidifiers (except portable), wholesale
  • Laundry tubs, wholesale
  • Oil and gas heating equipment, wholesale
  • Plumbers' brass goods, fittings and valves, wholesale
  • Plumbing and heating equipment and supplies, wholesale
  • Plumbing supplies, wholesale
  • Pumps, electrical (except industrial), wholesale
  • Radiators, heating equipment, wholesale
  • Ranges (except electric), wholesale
  • Ranges, stoves and furnaces (except electric), wholesale
  • Refrigerators, gas, domestic, wholesale
  • Sanitary ware, wholesale
  • Sauna equipment, wholesale
  • Solar heating panels and equipment, wholesale
  • Sprinkler systems, wholesale
  • Steam fittings, heating equipment, wholesale
  • Stoves and ranges (except electric), wholesale
  • Tanks and bowls, toilet, wholesale
  • Valves and fittings, plumbers', wholesale
  • Ventilating equipment and supplies, wholesale
  • Warm air heating and cooling equipment, wholesale
  • Water heaters, electric, wholesale
  • Water meters, wholesale
  • Water softeners, wholesale