Non-specialised wholesale trade

Division 46: Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Division 46 is the business-to-business trading layer of the UK economy: companies that buy goods to resell to retailers, trade customers and other wholesalers rather than to the public. The catch-all 46900 non-specialised wholesale is by far the most registered code, useful for importers with varied ranges. A second big family covers agents (46190, 46160, 46180 and siblings) who sell on commission without ever owning the stock. The rest of the division is organised by product: clothing on 46420, cosmetics on 46450, alcohol on 46342, machinery on 46690, food lines across 46310 to 46390, and construction materials on 46730.

Related SIC codes

Who prospects SIC 46900 companies

Wholesalers and importers are prime accounts for freight forwarders, pallet networks, warehousing operators and customs brokers, since moving and storing stock is their whole cost base. Trade credit insurers, packaging suppliers and accountants who handle import VAT and duty deferment also fish in this division. A newly incorporated wholesale company often signals a first container order on the way, growing filed accounts suggest expanding stockholding, and trade-only firms frequently lack a public website, which makes direct outreach the only realistic route in.

Where SIC 46900 clusters in the UK

ACTIVE COMPANIES BY REGISTERED-OFFICE POST TOWN · COMPANIES HOUSE REGISTER, JULY 2026

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