Meaning & use
rack jobbers
Last updated
“rack jobbers” is a form of “rack jobber”.
Meanings
nounpluralbusiness
Wholesalers who supply goods and arrange them on shelves in a store, keeping ownership until sale.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun: 'Rack jobbers supply music to supermarkets.' The singular is 'a rack jobber'.
Patterns
- rack jobbers supply something to someone
- work as a rack jobber
- a rack jobber for a company
Rack jobbers stock the magazine section in many grocery stores.
The store does not buy the CDs; rack jobbers own them until they are sold.
She worked as a rack jobber for a company that supplied toys to pharmacies.
nounpluralbusiness
Companies that rent shelf space in retail stores and manage the display and restocking of their products.
Grammar: Often used with 'the': 'The rack jobbers handle the greeting-card aisle.'
Patterns
- the rack jobbers handle something
- hire rack jobbers
- a contract with rack jobbers
The supermarket chain hired rack jobbers to manage its book and magazine displays.
Rack jobbers take care of restocking, so store staff do not have to.
Small retailers often rely on rack jobbers for seasonal items like holiday cards.
Word forms
| singular | rack jobber |
|---|
Common combinations
- music rack jobber
- A music rack jobber supplies CDs and vinyl to department stores.
- book rack jobber
- The book rack jobber decides which titles appear in the airport shops.
- use rack jobbers
- Many small stores use rack jobbers to avoid tying up cash in inventory.
- rack jobber services
- The company offers rack jobber services for greeting cards and magazines.
Synonyms and how they differ
- distributor
- A broader term for anyone who supplies goods to retailers; a rack jobber specifically also manages the display and often retains ownership.
- wholesaler
- A wholesaler sells goods in bulk, but does not necessarily place them on shelves or keep ownership until sale.
- concessionaire
- A concessionaire operates a business within a store or venue, while a rack jobber focuses on supplying and arranging goods on racks.
Word family
- rack jobbing noun
- The business of supplying and displaying goods on racks in retail stores.
- jobber noun
- A person or company that buys goods from manufacturers and sells them to retailers.
Commonly confused: rack jobbers or stockbroker?
rack jobbers vs stockbroker
A stockbroker buys and sells shares; a rack jobber deals with physical goods on store shelves.
Practice
What do rack jobbers typically do?
Choose one answer.
Rack jobbers are wholesalers who stock and manage displays in retail stores, often retaining ownership until the goods are sold. The other options describe stockbrokers, manufacturers, and postal workers.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “rack jobbers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.