| A | B |
|---|
| direct distribution | sales of goods or services directly to the customer, with no intermediaries |
| indirect distribution | sales of goods or services to the customer through one or more intermediaries. |
| common carrier | trucking companies that provide transportation services to a business. |
| contract carriers | For-hire trucking companies that provide equipment and drivers for specific routes. |
| private carriers | transport goods for one specific business. |
| drop shipper | businesses that own the goods they sell but do not physically handle the products. |
| distribution center | warehouse designed to speed delivery of goods and to minimize storage costs. Main focus is on moving products not storing them. |
| rack jobber | are wholesalers that manage inventory and merchandising for retailers by counting stock, filling it when needed and maintaining store displays |
| retailer | sell goods to the final consumer for personal use. EX: Target, Walmart, etc. |
| vending service | companies buy manufacturers’ products and sell them through machines that dispense goods to consumers. |
| online etailing | involves retailers selling products over the Internet to the customer. |
| agents | do not own the goods they sell. They act as intermediaries by bringing buyers and sellers together. |
| independent manufacturing reps | represent several related (but non competing) manufacturers in a specific industry. They work independently, running their own businesses. |
| exclusive distribution | involves protected territories for distribution of a product in a given geographic area. Dealers are assured that they are the only ones within a certain geographic radius that have the right to sell the manufacturer’s or wholesaler’s products. |
| selective distribution | means that a limited number of outlets in a given geographic area are used to sell the product. The objective is to select channel members that can maintain the image of the product and are good credit risks, aggressive marketers, and good inventory planners. |
| intensive distribution | involves the use of all suitable outlets to sell a product. The objective is complete market coverage, and the ultimate goal is to sell to as many customers as possible, wherever they choose to shop. |
| wholesaler | channel of distribution that obtains goods from manufacturer and resells them to retailers |
| manufacturer | produces the product being sold |
