suppliers
Those who provide
Suppliers are businesses or individuals that provide goods or services to other businesses.
A manufacturer relies on suppliers for raw materials; a restaurant depends on suppliers for food and equipment.
The term emphasizes the ongoing relationship: We're looking for new suppliers, supplier negotiations.
In supply chain contexts, suppliers occupy the upstream position from which materials flow toward production and eventual sale.
Bulk goods merchants
- distributorsEntities that supply retailers
- retailersBusinesses selling to public
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
- dealersThose who sell merchandise
traders · stockists · resellers · purveyors · middlemen · brokers · agents · importers
Industrial production facilities
- plantsPhotosynthesizing rooted organisms
- millsFactories or grinders
- foundriesMetal-casting plants
- workshopsGroup learning sessions
assembly · fabrication · production · craftsmen · artisans · forge · distillery · brewery
Goods kept for sale
- goodsThings for sale
- commoditiesTradeable raw materials
- componentsConstituent parts
- partsIndividual elements of whole
spares · consumables · equipment · accessories · hardware · materials · provisions · stockpile
Storing goods commercially
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- freightGoods being transported
- transportationMoving people or goods
- deliveryConveyance of goods
trucking · couriers · cargo · fulfillment · dispatch · receiving · distribution · tracking
Formal unions for cooperation
- collaborationsJoint creative endeavors
- affiliatesConnected member organizations
- associatesConnected persons or links
- consortiumCooperative group for ventures
Obtaining from suppliers
- purchasingAcquiring through payment
- biddingOffering prices or obeying
- tenderingFormally offering something
- contractsEnforceable written agreements
negotiations · RFQ · quotations · invoicing · vetting · onboarding · approval · compliance
wholesalers
Bulk goods merchants
- distributorsEntities that supply retailers
- retailersBusinesses selling to public
- merchantsThose who conduct commerce
dealers · traders · stockists · resellers · purveyors · middlemen · brokers · agents · importers · exporters
factories
Industrial production facilities
workshops · assembly · fabrication · production · craftsmen · artisans · forge · distillery · brewery · winery
stock
Goods kept for sale
- goodsThings for sale
- commoditiesTradeable raw materials
- componentsConstituent parts
parts · spares · consumables · equipment · accessories · hardware · materials · provisions · stockpile · reserves
warehousing
Storing goods commercially
- shippingTransporting goods to destinations
- freightGoods being transported
- transportationMoving people or goods
delivery · trucking · couriers · cargo · fulfillment · dispatch · receiving · distribution · tracking · import
alliances
Formal unions for cooperation
- collaborationsJoint creative endeavors
- affiliatesConnected member organizations
- associatesConnected persons or links
sourcing
Obtaining from suppliers
- purchasingAcquiring through payment
- biddingOffering prices or obeying
- tenderingFormally offering something
contracts · negotiations · RFQ · quotations · invoicing · vetting · onboarding · approval · compliance · auditing
- fashion industryfashion, fashion design, fashion designers, fashion shows, fashion week
- garlic industrygarlic cloves, curing, buyers, brokers
- defense procurementdefense contracts, military procurement, military contracts, defense contracting, government contracts
- drug crimesdrug trafficking, drug dealing, drug smuggling, drug conspiracy, narcotics trafficking
- drug traffickersdrug dealers, drug lords, traffickers, narcos, kingpins
- procurementprocurement, purchasing, purchase order, bidding, subcontract
suppliersbuyers
Those who obtain goods
customers · purchasers · clients · consumers · procurers
suppliersend users
Ultimate product recipients
retailers · consumers · distributors · wholesalers · resellers
- school suppliesMaterials for academic work
- office suppliesMaterials for desk work
- cleaning suppliesMaterials for removing dirt
- art suppliesTools for making artwork
- pet suppliesProducts for domestic animals
- emergency suppliesGoods stored for crises