Distribution Channels and Marketing Intermediaries

Define Retailer

• A retailer is a company that manufactures products.
• A retailer is an intermediary that buys from producers or other middlemen and sells to consumers.

• A retailer is a type of wholesaler that sells in bulk.
• A retailer is an online platform for auctioning goods.

Define Middleman (or marketing intermediary)

• A middleman is a type of consumer who buys products directly from producers.
• A middleman is an organization that only produces goods for sale.
• A middleman is a marketing organization that links a producer and user within a marketing channel.

• A middleman is a financial institution that provides loans to consumers.

Define Wholesaler

• A wholesaler is an intermediary that sells products to other firms.

• A wholesaler is a type of bank that provides loans to businesses.
• A wholesaler is a manufacturer that produces goods for sale.
• A wholesaler is a retailer that sells directly to consumers.

Define Distribution Channel (or marketing channel)

• A distribution channel is a method of advertising products to consumers.
• A distribution channel refers to the pricing strategy for goods and services.
• A distribution channel is the process of manufacturing goods before selling them.
• A distribution channel is a sequence of marketing organizations that directs a product from the producer to the ultimate user.

Define Supply Chain Management

• Supply Chain Management focuses solely on customer service.
• Supply Chain Management is only concerned with transportation logistics.
• Supply Chain Management is the coordination of all marketing channel activities associated with the flow and transformation of supplies, products, and information throughout the supply chain to the ultimate consumer.

• Supply Chain Management is the management of human resources in a company.

Define Agent

• An agent is a passive observer of the environment.
• An agent is a type of software that only collects data.
• An agent is a physical object that cannot interact with its surroundings.
• An agent is an intermediary that expedites exchanges, represents a buyer or a seller, and often is hired permanently on a commission basis.

Define Broker

• A broker is a type of financial institution that only lends money.
• A broker is a software application that automatically trades on behalf of investors.
• A broker is a person who buys and sells stocks exclusively for themselves.
• A broker is an intermediary that specializes in a particular commodity, represents either a buyer or a seller, and is likely to be hired on a temporary basis.

Define Logistics

• Logistics is the process of hiring employees for a business.
• Logistics is all those activities concerned with the efficient flow and storage of products from the producer to the ultimate user.

• Logistics refers to the financial management of a company.
• Logistics is the study of transportation methods.

Define Warehousing

• Warehousing is the act of selling products directly to consumers.
• Warehousing refers to the transportation of products to retailers.
• Warehousing is the set of activities involved in receiving and storing goods and preparing them for reshipment.

• Warehousing is the process of manufacturing goods.

Define Promotion

• Promotion is communication about an organization and its products that is intended to inform, persuade, or remind target-market members.

• Promotion is a type of discount offered to customers.
• Promotion refers to the physical placement of products in stores.
• Promotion is a method of product manufacturing.