TERM DESCRIPTION Middleman Any intermediary between manufacturer and end-user markets Agent or broker Any intermediary with legal authority to act on behalf of the manufacturer Wholesaler An intermediary who sells to other intermediaries, usually to retailers; term usually applies to consumer markets Retailer An intermediary who sells to consumers An imprecise term, usually used to describe intermediaries who perform a variety of Distributor distribution functions, including selling, maintaining inventories, extending credit, and so on; a more common term in business markets but may also be used to refer to wholesalers Dealer A more imprecise term than distributor that can mean the same as distributor, retailer, wholesaler, and so forth