noun
wholesale business; wholesale trade
Refers to the industry or business of buying goods in bulk from manufacturers and selling them to retailers, rather than directly to consumers.
彼は長年、卸売業を営んでいる。
He has been running a wholesale business for many years.
卸売業は小売業と密接な関係にある。
The wholesale trade is closely related to the retail trade.
Compound of 卸 (おろし, 'wholesale') + 売り (うり, 'selling') + 業 (ぎょう, 'business/industry'). The kanji 卸 is used specifically for wholesale transactions.