Sections:

Accounting for Sales and Cash Receipts, Page 6

Accounts Used by a Merchandising Business

Merchandise
Goods bought for resale are known as merchandise. A merchandising business buys goods from a wholesaler or a manufacturing business, then sells these goods to its customers. For example, consider Wal-Mart, who buys goods in bulk from various manufacturers and wholesalers, and then resells those goods to its customers. The goods that are bought for resale are called merchandise. 

Image of merchandise being delivered to a merchandiser.

Merchandisers:
Merchandisers transfer ownership from a manufacturer to the customer, who buys the goods for his or her own use. A merchandiser could be a wholesaler or a retailer. 

Merchandising businesses use two types of accounts. They are: 

  • Merchandising Inventory Account 
  • Sales Account

Click each type to learn more.