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# Retailers

# Retailers

## Definition

Capitalists who employ their capital in dividing particular portions of either rude or manufactured produce into small parcels that suit the occasional demands of consumers. Retailers provide the final distribution link in the economic chain, making goods available in quantities appropriate for individual consumption needs.

## Source Chapter

Book II, Chapter 5

## Context

Smith identifies retailers as the fourth method of employing capital, arguing that without retail distribution, every consumer would be forced to purchase quantities far exceeding their immediate needs. He emphasizes the convenience retailers provide, particularly to the poor, by enabling them to purchase subsistence from day to day rather than in bulk.

## Economic Domain

Exchange

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