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The business of selling goods in large quantities to retailers, industrial, commercial, institutional, or other professional users, rather than to the general public.
La nostra azienda si occupa esclusivamente di commercio all'ingrosso.
Our company deals exclusively in wholesale trade.
Often contrasted with 'commercio al dettaglio' (retail trade).
Remember: 'all'ingrosso' involves large quantities sold to businesses, while 'al dettaglio' refers to small quantities sold directly to consumers.
Wholesale prices are typically lower than retail because they exclude the cost of individual packaging and marketing aimed at end consumers.
From Italian 'commercio' (commerce) + 'all' (to the) + 'ingrosso' (wholesale, from 'grosso' meaning 'large' or 'bulk'). The phrase literally means 'commerce to the large', reflecting the bulk nature of wholesale transactions.
Used in formal business contexts. The preposition 'all' contracts with 'il' (the) to form 'all' before 'ingrosso'.