Merchants function as professionals who deal with trade, dealing in commodities that they do not produce themselves, in order to produce profit.
Merchants can be of two types:
1. A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant. Some wholesale merchants only organize the movement of goods rather than move the goods themselves.
2. A retail merchant or retailer, sells commodities to consumers (including businesses). A shop owner is a retail merchant.
A merchant class characterizes many pre-modern societies. Its status can range from high (even achieving titles like that of merchant prince or nabob) to low, such as in ancient Chinese culture, due to the soiling capabilities of profiting from "mere" trade, rather than from the labor of others reflected in agricultural produce, craftsmanship, and tribute.
Subject: The Merchant 
Mon Mar 09, 2009 9:43 pm
