New York is the major wholesale hub for the United States

New York is the major wholesale hub for the United States. It has so many wholesale companies located in it AT first glance, the stretch of Broadway from Greeley Square at 32d Street south to 26th Street seems like any other active shopping district. Delivery trucks clog the streets while customers hurry in and out of stores stuffed with goods ranging from color television sets and appliances to leather goods, handbags, sunglasses, and jewelry.  In the last 10 years, this once-decaying section of Broadway has emerged as a thriving wholesale and import district where mostly foreign-made consumer products are sold to small retailers and to other wholesalers in the metropolitian area.

Although Broadway is still considered the preferred location for this new generation of wholesale merchants, the demand for ground-floor space in the area has pushed the boundaries of the district westward into the flower district on the Avenue of the Americas. The wholesalers’ presence in the area is so strong that on Broadway between 26th and 32d Sreeets more than 90 percent of the ground-floor spaces are occupied by non-retail tenants. Most of the businesses there that are not wholesale-import operations are food-related concerns, such as luncheonettes and delicatessens.

That many of the merchants started out in the import business in New York selling wigs and novelty items. But over the years, New York have expanded into such products as electronics, handbags and luggage, jewelry and clothing as Korea, Taiwan and Hong Kong have become big consumer-goods exporters.

Most of the area’s wholesalers and importers sell to small-store owners rather than to major retailers. Their customers, who buy in small quantities, need to be able to replenish their stocks quickly.