The Biggest Wholesalers

Wholesaling is one of the biggest industries in North America. When you think about almost any kind of consumer good, there is usually a corresponding wholesaler. Still, even for any industry this large there are some clear giants. Some wholesalers that are miles ahead of the other colleagues in the business. It should really be no surprise that one of the biggest of these group deals with food and drugs.
Wholesalers of food, drugs, beverages, and tobacco compromise the largest group of wholesalers with just over 20% of the sector. With the globalization of the world markets, there are certain issues that are cropping up as more and more giant wholesaling companies are able to reach into markets where they had no exposure before.
This is taking place in certain areas of Japan. Although this issue is not generally reported in the media in that country, there is a large reorganization of the wholesale food industry in Japan due to the influx of, among others, Western influence. This has forced some of the larger wholesalers in Japan to resort to some drastic measures. Only eight years ago Japan’s largest and ninth largest wholesaler decided it would be in their best interest to merge to fend off the onslaught from foreign interests. Still, that move doesn’t seem to have solved the problem.
As the trend continues and the number of Japanese wholesalers shrinks, the variety of goods and services available for Japanese retailers to put on their shelves diminishes. So, in an ironic twist, these same Japanese retailers look more and more to foreign wholesalers to satisfy their customers needs for diversity. Added to the mix is the increased amount of knowledge the Japanese consumer has about what kinds of goods they want and where they come from. As well, the Japanese are traveling abroad now more than ever and often ask for foreign goods at their favorite stores by name.