A merchant, also known as a retailer is a business that offers products such as clothing food items, groceries, or automobiles directly to consumers via different distribution channels, with the aim of making a profit. The retailer can be located in a physical location or on the internet.
Retailers are the front-facing component in the chain and the majority of people are in contact with them regularly. They are available in many different kinds, styles, and sizes.
What is a retail store?
Retailers usually purchase products from a wholesaler, manufacturer, or another distributor, and then sell them to the general public. The largest retailers, like Walmart and Target, buy goods in large amounts from wholesalers or from manufacturers However, small, family-owned pharmacies or your neighborhood grocery store can purchase products at the same stores or through smaller vendors.
In any case, the retailer will sell those products to the consumer with a markup, which is the difference between the purchase price and the price they resell. This is the way retailers earn money.
The principal categories of merchandise that retail stores sell are:
- Food
- Goods that are durable or hard to break (such as cars or furniture)
- Soft items (such as footwear or clothing with a long-lasting life)
- Art products (such as musical instruments, books, or art materials)
How Retailers How to Work
Retailers need to be equipped to direct sell to consumers in one way or other. This is not just about making taking decisions regarding physical and online locations, but also the way to promote products and interact with customers.
Modern retailers usually base their strategic decisions on the following criteria:
- The kind of shop (e.g. large national chain as opposed to. small shops in selected cities as opposed to. only online)
- The market it serves (e.g. luxury product consumers in contrast to. price-conscious consumers)
- A wide selection of products is optimal (unless obviously, you’re Amazon selling everything)
- Contact customer service (e.g. or an in-store representative for customer relations in contrast to. the toll-free 800 number)
- The market’s positioning (e.g. customers who have discretionary income vs. customers with disposable income)
Different types of retailers
Brick-and-mortar stores aren’t the only types of retailers. There is a myriad of small businesses that are solely owned by one person offering their goods online, such as bath oil up to Bermuda shorts.
Businesses that aren’t traditional also qualify as retailers. For example, an artist who sells jewelry made by hand at a craft fair is considered to be a retail store, so long as the seller sells goods to customers in order to make profits.
Retailers aren’t just in the business of selling items but they also serve as service suppliers. For instance, the popular consumer electronics retailer Best Buy has a Geek Squad department within its retail stores that provides repair services for the items it sells. In addition, it also offers house visits. Geek Squad makes house calls and offers customer service service.
Here is a listing of the most common retail formats, or kinds:
- Mortar and brick (i.e. the physical structure)
- Online
- Kiosk
- Special occasion (refers to events such as fairs, art shows, or art shows)
- Catalog (refers to a business that is conducted exclusively through a print (or online) catalog)
- Pop-up (temporary brick-and-mortar storefront that’s particularly well-known during the holiday shopping season)
Nowadays, retailers must be multichannel that is, they have to sell their products in multiple types of stores (or channels for selling) for them to achieve success. For instance, Amazon has added brick-and-mortar stores as an addition to its online operations. The modern consumer wants many options for purchasing from their preferred brand.
Retail Standards
Standards for the retail industry are established standards that are used to run a retail company. They can be extremely beneficial to assist both ongoing and new businesses to run more effectively. There are two essential requirements that retail businesses must be aware of.
G1 Standards for Retail Industry
GS1 is focused on the management of supply chains and is based on its GS1 number system that is used for Universal Product Codes (UPC). This method improves efficiency by making it possible for retailers to manage their inventory and checkout processes electronically. The GS1 assists in other important information exchanges across the supply chain, from production to distribution.
American National Standards Institute (ANSI)
The Accredited Standards Committee of the ANSI establishes the standards for the exchange of electronically-enabled data within a vast variety of industries. These standards are used to guide the operational processes of numerous retail businesses. For instance, electronic data exchange (EDI) is a document standard that permits the interconnection of multiple computer applications on multiple sites. 3 This allows a retailer to send order data from a site or online shop to warehouses or distribution centers. Retailers should be aware of different ANSI standards.
10 Top U.S. Retailers
The 10 largest U.S. retailers (based on sales for the year 2019) span from food retailers to those selling medicine to storefronts on the internet.
- Walmart
- Amazon.com
- It is the Kroger Co.
- Costco
- Walgreens Boots Alliance
- The Home Depot
- CVS Health Corporation
- Target
- Lowe’s Companies
- Albertson’s Companies5
How to become a retailer
The decision to open selling retail businesses requires an extensive amount of planning and preparation starting with research on your market and making your strategy to recruit employees. Before you begin selling, be sure to have all the required documents, both legal and other needed. You’ll need an Employer Identification Number (EIN), which is akin to a Social Security number for your company. The majority of the vendors you deal with will require an EIN prior to doing business with them. You can make an application for an EIN through the IRS website.
Being a registered EIN is a sign that you’ll be in charge of a range of taxes which include sales tax. Be aware of the state and local taxes, and be aware of the taxes you’ll have to pay to local and federal government agencies. Consult the chamber of commerce in your area for guidance on how to proceed.
Retailers must also have business licenses. These depend on the product you’re selling and also the laws of your city or state. Contact your local government office to determine what you’ll require. State and local laws will determine if you require a resale permit or an industry-specific certificate or an official certificate of occupancy for your brick-and-mortar.
