Английский язык: Сборник текстов и упражнений. Бодргина Л.И - 67 стр.

      To avoid long technical discussion on the nature of wholesaling, we’ll use the
U.S. Bureau of the Census definition:
      Wholesaling is concerned with the activities of those persons or establish-
ments which sell to retailers and other merchants, and/or to industrial, institutional,
and commercial users, but who do not sell in large amounts to final consumers.
      So, wholesalers are firms whose main function is providing wholesaling ac-
tivities.
      Note, that producers who take over wholesaling activities are not considered
wholesalers. However, when producers set up branch warehouse at separate loca-
tions, these establishments basically operate as wholesalers. In fact, they’re classi-
fied as wholesalers by the U.S. Census Bureau and by government agencies in
many other countries.
      Wholesalers may perform certain functions for both their suppliers and the
wholesalers’ own customers-in short, for those above and below them in the chan-
nel. Wholesaling functions really are variations of the basic marketing functions-
buying, selling, grading, storing, transporting, financing, risk taking, and gather-
ing market information. Wholesaling functions are basic to the following discus-
sion because decisions about what combination of functions to perform is a key
part of a wholesaler’s strategy planning. Keep in mind that not all wholesalers
provide all of the functions.
      Wholesalers perform a variety of activities that benefit their customers.
      They:
      1. Regroup goods-to provide the quantity and assortment customers want at
the lowest possible cost.
      2. Anticipate needs-forecast customers’ demands and buy accordingly.
      3. Carry stocks-carry inventory so customers don’t have to store a large inventory.
      4. Deliver goods-provide prompt delivery at low cost.
      5. Grant credit to customers, perhaps supplying their working capital.
      Note: This financing function may be very important to small customers;
sometimes it’s the main reason they use wholesalers rather than buying directly
from producers.
      6. Provide information and advisory service-supply price and technical in-
formation as well as suggestions on how to install and sell products. Note: The
wholesaler’s sales reps may be experts in the products they sell.
      7. Provide part of the buying function-offer products to potential customers
so they don’t have to hunt for supply sources.
      8. Own and transfer title to products-help complete a sale without the need
for other middlemen, speeding the whole buying and sell process.
      Wholesalers also benefit producer-suppliers. They:
      1. Provide part of a producer’s selling function-by going to producer-
suppliers instead of waiting for their sales reps to call.
      2. Store inventory-reduce a producer’s need to carry large stocks thus cutting
the producer’s warehousing expenses.
      3. Supply capital-reduce a producer’s need for working capital by buying the
producer’s output and carrying it in inventory unit it’s sold.
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