Which term describes companies that sell products and services to businesses?

• A. Retailers
• B. Manufacturers
• C. Consumers
• D. Vendors

Answer: (D)

When a company sells products and services to other businesses, it’s operating in a business-to-business selling role. That is described by the term vendor, a supplier that provides goods or services to organizations rather than to individual consumers. The label captures the relationship focus—selling to other businesses—as opposed to consumer-facing activity.

Retailers specialize in selling to individual customers, not businesses, so that doesn’t fit the scenario. Manufacturers create goods and may sell to retailers or directly to businesses, but the word describes production rather than the buyer-seller relationship. Consumers are the buyers, usually end users, not sellers to other businesses. So vendors is the best fit.