In short
A distributor buys large volumes from brands and supplies other businesses. A wholesaler sells in trade or case quantities to retailers. A cash & carry is a wholesaler you visit in person, paying and collecting on the day. Many UK suppliers do more than one of these, so compare them on minimum order, price and range instead of on the label.
By Shearn Group LTD · Updated
What a distributor does
A distributor buys in large volumes, usually direct from a brand or its appointed agent, and moves that stock on to other businesses. Its customers are often wholesalers, cash & carries and larger retailers.
Because a distributor commits to volume, it tends to get the lowest unit price and sets a higher minimum order in return.
What a wholesaler does
A wholesaler sells to retailers in trade quantities: by the case, the outer or the pallet. It breaks bulk, so a single shop can stock many brands without opening an account with each one.
Minimum orders are usually lower than a distributor’s, and the unit price is a little higher to reflect that.
What a cash & carry does
A cash & carry is a wholesale warehouse that trade customers visit in person. You choose the stock, pay and take it away the same day. There is usually no minimum order, which suits small top-up purchases, and prices reflect that convenience.
Which one should a retailer use?
Most shops use more than one. A common pattern is:
- A cash & carry for small, urgent top-ups.
- One or two wholesalers for the regular range.
- A distributor, or a business that acts as both, for volume buys, promotions and clearance stock where the saving justifies a larger order.
Why the labels overlap
In practice the same business often buys in volume like a distributor and sells in trade quantities like a wholesaler. What decides whether a supplier suits you is the minimum order, the brands, the price and the delivery, not which word is on the sign.
Where Shearn Group fits
Shearn Group is both a distributor and a wholesaler. It buys branded toys, FMCG and confectionery in volume and sells in trade quantities to independent retailers, discounters, cash & carries and regional wholesalers across the UK, with a minimum order of £5,000 + VAT.