Q.State any four services rendered by a wholesaler to a retailer.

Wholesale trade is the buying and selling of goods and services in large quantities for resale or intermediate use. A wholesaler sells to retailers, other merchants, and industrial or institutional users — but not, in any significant amount, to ultimate consumers. Wholesalers are the vital link that lets a manufacturer reach a large number of buyers spread over a wide area.

A wholesaler typically takes the title (ownership) of goods, bears the business risk, buys in bulk and sells in small lots, and performs grading, packing, storage, transport, promotion and market-information gathering. By making goods available at the right place and time, wholesalers create place utility and time utility.

Services to manufacturers:

• Facilitating large-scale production — pooling small retailer orders into bulk orders lets producers enjoy economies of scale.
• Bearing risk — of price falls, theft, spoilage and fire while goods sit in their warehouses.
• Financial assistance — cash payment (and sometimes advances) frees the producer's capital.
• Expert advice on customers' tastes, competition and market conditions.
• Storage / warehousing — holding finished goods until demanded keeps production continuous and provides time utility.

Services to retailers: ready availability of many manufacturers' goods, marketing support, grant of credit, specialised product knowledge, and risk sharing.