Vendor facts for kids

A fish vendor selling his goods in a market.

A vendor is like a seller. It's a company or person who provides goods or services to others. Think of a vendor as anyone who sells something you need. This could be a store, a factory, or even someone offering a service. Other words for vendor include supplier or seller.

What is a Vendor?

A vendor is a key part of how things get from where they are made to where they are used. They provide goods or services to another group or person. Vendors can sell to different types of customers:

• B2B (Business-to-Business): This means they sell to other companies. For example, a company that makes car parts sells them to a car factory.
• B2C (Business-to-Consumer): This means they sell directly to people like you and me. A clothing store is a B2C vendor.
• B2G (Business-to-Government): This means they sell to government groups. A company selling office supplies to a city hall is a B2G vendor.

Some vendors make the items they sell, like a toy factory. Others offer services, like a company that cleans offices. The words "vendor" and "supplier" are often used to mean the same thing.

Different Kinds of Vendors

There are four main types of vendors in the business world. Each plays a different role in getting products and services to customers.

Manufacturers

Manufacturers are vendors who make things. They take raw materials, like wood or metal, and turn them into finished products. For example, a company that builds bicycles is a manufacturer.

Retailers

A retailer is a vendor who sells products directly to customers. They usually sell things in a store, like a clothing shop, or online. A street vendor selling hot dogs is also a type of retailer.

Service Providers

A service provider is a vendor who offers a service instead of a physical product. This could be maintenance work, like fixing a broken computer, or providing advice, like a tutor. Cleaning services are another example.

Wholesalers

A wholesaler is a vendor who buys products in large amounts from manufacturers. Then, they resell these products to other businesses, like retail stores or distributors. Wholesalers are important because they help stores get products at good prices.

See also

• Peddling
• Retailer
• Wholesaler