North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) 2007 - Labour Force Survey

8.2 - Service-Producing Industries

This special aggregation comprises establishments coded to 'Wholesale Trade' (NAICS 41), 'Retail Trade' (NAICS 44-45), 'Transportation and storage' (NAICS 48-49), 'Information and Cultural Industries' (NAICS 51), 'Finance and Insurance' (NAICS 52), 'Real Estate and Rental and Leasing' (NAICS 53), 'Professional, Scientific and Technical Services' (NAICS 54), 'Management of Companies and Enterprises' (NAICS 55), 'Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services' (NAICS 56), 'Educational Services' (NAICS 61), 'Health Care and Social Assistance' (NAICS 62), 'Arts, Entertainment and Recreation' (NAICS 71), 'Accommodation and Food Services' (NAICS 72), 'Other Services (except Public Administration)' (NAICS 81) and to 'Public Administration (NAICS 91)

8.2.1 - Trade

This special aggregation comprises establishments coded to 'Wholesale Trade' (NAICS 41) and to 'Retail Trade' (NAICS 44-45)

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.

419 - Wholesale Electronic Markets, and Agents and Brokers^US

This subsector comprises establishments primarily engaged in buying and/or selling products, owned by others, and generally receiving a fee or a commission for the service. These establishments may be known as business-to-business electronic markets, commission merchants, import agents or brokers, export agents or brokers, manufacturers' agents, purchasing agents, selling agents, and they may deal in any type of product. These establishments bring together sellers and buyers or undertake commercial transactions on behalf of a principal, without taking title of the goods bought or sold.

• Exclusion(s):

  Establishments primarily engaged in:

  • bringing together buyers and sellers of goods using the Internet in a business-to-consumer or consumer-to-consumer environment (See 45411 Electronic Shopping and Mail-Order Houses)
  • operating as shipping agents (See 48851 Freight Transportation Arrangement)
  • trading commodities and commodity futures, which are usually listed on a commodity exchange (See 5231 Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage)
  • buying and selling insurance, on a commission basis (See 52421 Insurance Agencies and Brokerages)
  • buying and selling real estate, on a commission basis (See 53121 Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers)
  • buying and selling goods on own account using a combination of electronic and traditional methods (classified according to the merchandise line or lines sold by the merchant wholesaler-distributor)

4191 - Wholesale Electronic Markets, and Agents and Brokers^US

This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in buying and/or selling products, owned by others, and generally receiving a fee or a commission for the service. These establishments may be known as business-to-business electronic markets, commission merchants, import agents or brokers, export agents or brokers, manufacturers' agents, purchasing agents, selling agents, and they may deal in any type of product. These establishments bring together sellers and buyers or undertake commercial transactions on behalf of a principal, without taking title of the goods bought or sold.

41912 - Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers

This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in buying and/or selling products, owned by others, on a commission basis. These establishments may be known as commission merchants, import agents or brokers, export agents or brokers, manufacturers' agents, purchasing agents, selling agents, and they may deal in any type of product. These establishments usually bring sellers and buyers together or undertake commercial transactions on behalf of a principal, without taking title of the goods bought or sold.

• Exclusion(s):

  Establishments primarily engaged in:

  • acting as agents and brokers and wholesaling products, owned by others, using the Internet or other electronic means (See 41911 Business-to-Business Electronic Markets)
  • shipping agents (See 48851 Freight Transportation Arrangement)
  • trading commodities and commodity futures, which are usually listed on a commodity exchange (See 5231 Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage)
  • buying and selling insurance, on a commission basis (See 52421 Insurance Agencies and Brokerages)
  • buying and selling real estate for others, on a fee or commission basis (See 53121 Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers)
  • wholesaling merchandise on own account, merchant wholesaler-distributors (classified according to the merchandise line or lines sold by the merchant wholesaler-distributor)

419120 - Wholesale Trade Agents and Brokers^US

This Canadian industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in buying and/or selling products, owned by others, on a commission basis. These establishments may be known as commission merchants, import agents or brokers, export agents or brokers, manufacturers' agents, purchasing agents, selling agents, and they may deal in any type of product. These establishments usually bring sellers and buyers together or undertake commercial transactions on behalf of a principal, without taking title of the goods bought or sold.

• Example Activities:

  • Agents and brokers, wholesale trade
  • Agricultural supplies, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Alcoholic beverages, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Amusement and sporting goods, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Apparel, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Automobiles, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Book, periodical and newspaper, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Chemicals (except agricultural), wholesale agents and brokers
  • China, glassware, crockery and pottery, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Coal brokers, wholesale
  • Commission agency, general, wholesale
  • Commission salesman, representing several products of companies
  • Computer and related machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Confectionery, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Construction and forestry machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Dairy products, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Drugs, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Dry goods, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Electrical wiring supplies and electrical construction materials, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Farm machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Ferrous and non-ferrous metal ores and concentrates, combined, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Ferrous and non-ferrous metals, combination, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Fish and seafood, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Floor coverings, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Food, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Footwear, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Fresh fruits and vegetables, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Frozen packaged food, wholesale agents and brokers
  • General line building material, wholesale agents and brokers
  • General line of food, wholesale agents and brokers
  • General line of merchandise, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Grain, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Hardware, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Home electronics, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Household appliances and home electronics, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Household furnishings, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Household furniture, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Import-export agents and brokers, wholesale trade
  • Industrial machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Iron and steel primary forms and structural shapes, agents and brokers
  • Jewellery and watch, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Linens, draperies and other textile furnishings, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Livestock, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Logs and wood chips, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Lumber, plywood and millwork, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Meat and meat products, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Men's clothing, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Metal and metal products (except ores), wholesale agents and brokers
  • Mining machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Motor vehicles (except automobiles, trucks and buses), wholesale agents and brokers
  • New and rebuilt auto parts, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Newsprint, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Non-alcoholic beverages, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Office and store machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Paint, glass and wallpaper, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Paper and paper products, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Photographic equipment and supplies, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Poultry and eggs, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Produce brokers, wholesale
  • Professional machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Purchasing agents, wholesale trade
  • Recycled materials (except auto parts), wholesale agents and brokers
  • Second-hand goods (except machinery and auto parts), wholesale agents and brokers
  • Seeds, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Service machinery and equipment, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Stationery and office supplies, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Timber brokers, wholesale
  • Tires, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Tobacco products, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Toys and hobby goods, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Trailers, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Trucks and buses, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Used (recycled) auto parts, wholesale agents and brokers
  • Wheat brokers, wholesale
  • Women's and children outerwear, wholesale agents and brokers