Your complete guide to wholesale terminology… from tech solutions to industry slang
Whether you're new to wholesale or just want to brush up on the latest terminology, this glossary covers everything from modern digital solutions to traditional industry slang. No more nodding along when someone mentions "dead stock shrinkage" or wondering what a "bullseye" actually costs.
Technology & Digital Solutions
- AI Inbox: Intelligent artificial intelligent system that automatically converts email orders into your ERP system, eliminating manual data entry and reducing processing errors by up to 90%. Saves wholesalers 30-50% of their working hours while customers continue ordering via email, phone, text or WhatsApp.
- Automation: Technology that handles repetitive tasks without human intervention - order processing, inventory updates and auto-responders.
- Web Shop: B2B eCommerce platform that allows customers to browse products and place orders online 24/7. Features customer-specific pricing, product catalog, and delivery scheduling.
- eCommerce Operating System: Comprehensive digital platform managing all aspects of wholesale business operations, from order taking to inventory management and customer communications.
- Online Ordering: Digital ordering process through apps, websites, or online platforms rather than traditional methods. Reduces errors and processing time.
- Manual Ordering Traditional order-taking methods requiring human intervention - phone calls, fax, or email transcription. Generally results in higher error rates and longer processing times.
- Ordering App: Mobile or web-based application enabling direct customer ordering, often including features such as offline capability, barcode scanning and order history.
- White-Label: Product or service created by one company but branded and sold by another company as their own. Allows businesses to offer sophisticated solutions without pay for their own app development and maintenance costs.
Orderlion-Specific Solutions
- Orderlion’s AI Inbox: Orderlion's intelligent processing system that automatically converts customer email, text, voicemail and WhatsApp orders into your ERP system. Eliminates manual transcription, reduces errors by 90%, and saves 30-50% of working hours. Customers continue ordering the way they like, while orders are automatically processed.
- White-Label App: Fully branded and customised ordering application featuring your company branding, logo and design. Provide a professional mobile ordering solution without development costs or technical complexity.
- Web Shop: B2B eCommerce platform providing 24/7 online ordering with customer-specific pricing, product catalogs, delivery schedules and ERP integration. Works across all devices.
- Sales Pro: A mobile field sales application that gives sales representatives the tools to onboard new customers in seconds, place orders on behalf of customers from any device, and receive real-time order notifications and customer activity updates. Works wherever your team operates.
- Driver Pro: Delivery tracking solution enabling drivers to document deliveries, returns and deposits directly from their smartphone. Features digital signature collection on delivery notes, tracking of changes and reusable deposit boxes, photo capture for proof of delivery, and automatic back-office synchronisation. No training required.
- Analytics (Orderlion Analytics): Business intelligence platform providing insights into customer behaviour and sales opportunities. Identifies who's ordering, at-risk customers, and quiet accounts while predicting next order dates to prevent churn. Highlights upsell potential across product categories and enables targeted messaging to win back lapsed customers.
- Partner Manager Program: Dedicated support system assigning each client a personal partner manager for ongoing guidance, strategic recommendations and platform optimisation.
Business Types
- Wholesaler: A business that purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers and sells them to retailers, restaurants or other businesses rather than directly to consumers.
- F&B Supplier: Food and Beverage supplier - a wholesaler specialising in providing food and drink products to the hospitality, retail and foodservice industries.
- B2B Ordering: Business-to-Business ordering - the process of companies purchasing goods or services from other companies, typically involving larger quantities and specialised pricing.
- SME: Small and Medium Enterprise - typically businesses with fewer than 250 employees and annual turnover below specific thresholds.
- Enterprise: Large-scale businesses with significant revenue, employee count and complex operational requirements.
Systems & Integration
- Invoicing & Payments Software Digital systems that automate the creation, sending and tracking of invoices and payment processing for B2B transactions.
- Order Portal: A dedicated online platform where customers can log in to place orders, view product catalogs and manage their account.
- Order Management Software: Comprehensive systems that handle the entire order lifecycle from placement to fulfillment, including inventory updates and delivery scheduling.
- CRM: Customer Relationship Management - software system that manages all interactions and relationships with customers and prospects. Stores customer information, tracks sales activities, manages leads and helps businesses build stronger customer relationships through organised data and communication history.
- ERP: Enterprise Resource Planning - integrated software systems that manage core business processes including inventory, accounting, purchasing and order management.
- ERP Integration: The process of linking an ordering platform directly with an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system so data flows automatically between the two. In wholesale, this means product information, pricing, customer details, inventory levels, and orders are synchronised in real time.
Communication Methods
- Telephone Call: Direct voice communication between supplier and customer, often used for complex orders or relationship building, but time-consuming and prone to miscommunication.
- Voicemail: Recorded messages left when direct calls aren't answered. Common challenge for wholesalers who must manually transcribe orders from voicemail, leading to errors and delays.
- Fax: Legacy technology for transmitting documents, still used by some traditional businesses but increasingly obsolete due to poor reliability and environmental concerns.
- Email: Electronic mail communication, widely used for order confirmations and general correspondence, though manual processing of email orders can be time-intensive.
- SMS/Text Messaging: Short text messages sent to mobile phones, useful for quick updates and delivery notifications.
- WhatsApp: Popular messaging platform often used informally for order taking, though prone to errors and difficult to scale without proper business features.
- WhatsApp Business: Professional version of WhatsApp with business features like automated messages and catalog sharing, more suitable for commercial use than standard WhatsApp.
- Live Chat: Real-time messaging feature that allows instant communication between suppliers and customers within ordering platforms, enabling quick resolution of queries.
- In-App Messaging: Built-in communication tools within ordering applications that allow context-aware conversations directly related to orders and products.
- Push Notifications: Automated messages sent directly to customer devices through mobile apps or web browsers to alert about offers, order updates, or important information.
- Video Calls: Face-to-face communication via platforms like Zoom, Teams, WhatsApp or Google Meet, useful for product demonstrations and relationship building.
- Social Media Messaging: Communication through platforms like Facebook Messenger, LinkedIn, or Instagram DMs, increasingly used for customer service and informal ordering.
Automated Communication
- Chatbots: Automated messaging systems that can handle basic customer queries and order-related questions without human intervention.
- Email Automation: Automated email sequences for order confirmations, delivery updates, and follow-up communications triggered by specific customer actions.
- Automated Phone Systems: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems that guide customers through menu options to reach the right department or information.
Sales & Marketing
- Sales Enablement: Tools, content, and processes that help sales teams sell more effectively, including mobile sales apps and customer analytics.
- Upselling: The practice of encouraging customers to purchase additional or higher-value products, often through targeted promotions or product recommendations.
- Promotions: Special offers, discounts, or deals used to incentivise purchases and increase basket size.
- In-App Notifications: Push messages sent through ordering applications to inform customers about offers, order updates, or important information.
- Branding: The complete identity and reputation of a business, encompassing visual elements (logos, colors, design), messaging and tone of voice, customer experience, and every touchpoint where customers interact with the company. Goes beyond just appearance to include how the business behaves, communicates and delivers on its promises.
- Multi-channel Ordering: Offering customers multiple ways to place orders (app, web, phone, email) while maintaining consistency across all channels.
Key Metrics & Performance
- Basket Size: The average value of goods purchased in a single order, a key metric for measuring customer spending patterns and upselling effectiveness.
- Customer Retention: The percentage of customers who continue to purchase from a supplier over a specific period, crucial for sustainable business growth.
- Churn: The rate at which customers stop doing business with a company, expressed as a percentage over a given time period.
- Loss Leaders: Products sold at a loss to attract customers and encourage additional purchases of profitable items.
Product Specific Terms
- Veg Box: A mixed selection of vegetables, often seasonal, sold as a single unit to restaurants or retailers.
- Spuds: Informal term for potatoes in various forms (new, maris piper, etc.).
- Top Fruit: Tree-grown fruits such as apples, pears and stone fruits.
- Soft Fruit: Delicate fruits like berries, grapes and other easily damaged produce requiring careful handling.
- Primal Cuts: Large sections of meat broken down from a carcass, such as shoulder, leg, or loin, before being further processed.
- Catch of the Day: The freshest fish available, typically featured as a special offering with variable pricing.
- On-trade / Off-trade: On-trade: Sales to businesses that serve alcohol on premises (pubs, restaurants). Off-trade: Sales to retailers who sell for off-premises consumption.
- Keg & Cask: Different beer dispensing systems - kegs use CO2 pressure while casks use traditional hand pumps and natural conditioning.
- Top Shelf: Premium spirits and liquors, typically higher-priced and positioned prominently in bars.
Inventory & Operations
- Split Case: Selling products in quantities smaller than the manufacturer's standard case size, allowing customers more flexibility in ordering.
- MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity - the smallest amount of a product that a supplier is willing to sell in a single order.
- Dead Stock: Inventory that cannot be sold due to expiration, damage, or lack of demand, representing a loss to the business.
- Stock-out: When a product is temporarily unavailable due to insufficient inventory levels.
- Shrink: The loss of inventory due to theft, damage, spoilage, or administrative errors.
- GDPR Compliant: Adherence to General Data Protection Regulation requirements for handling personal data of EU residents.
Industry Slang & Informal Terms
- Morning Scramble: The hectic period when orders are processed and dispatched in the early hours to meet delivery schedules.
- A Monkey: £500 in British slang.
- A Pony: £25 in British slang.
- A Score: £20 in British slang.
- A Ton :£100 in British slang.
- A Grand :£1,000 in British slang.
- A Bullseye :£50 in British slang.
Final Notes
The wholesale world has its own language, and now you speak it fluently. From traditional trade terms that have been around for decades to the latest tech solutions changing how we work, every word in here represents part of what makes this industry brilliant.
Whether you're explaining to your grandad why you need an AI Inbox or impressing someone at a trade show with your knowledge, you're all set.
About Orderlion: We’re the eCommerce operating system built for food and beverage wholesalers. Our platform includes ordering apps, an AI inbox, sales tools, driver management, and analytics — all connected to your existing ERP. More than 500 suppliers across Europe already use Orderlion to automate orders, cut down on manual work and grow their business.
Are we missing a term? Let us know – we're always learning too!
