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merchant

A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as industry, commerce, and trade have existed. In 16th-century Europe, two different terms for merchants emerged: meerseniers referred to local traders (such as bakers and grocers) and koopman (Dutch: koopman) referred to merchants who operated on a global stage, importing and exporting goods over vast distances and offering added-value services such as credit and finance.
The status of the merchant has varied during different periods of history and among different societies. In modern times, the term merchant has occasionally been used to refer to a businessperson or someone undertaking activities (commercial or industrial) for the purpose of generating profit, cash flow, sales, and revenue using a combination of human, financial, intellectual and physical capital with a view to fueling economic development and growth.

Merchants have been known for as long as humans have engaged in trade and commerce. Merchants and merchant networks operated in ancient Babylonia and Assyria, China, Egypt, Greece, India, Persia, Phoenicia, and Rome. During the European medieval period, a rapid expansion in trade and commerce led to the rise of a wealthy and powerful merchant class. The European age of discovery opened up new trading routes and gave European consumers access to a much broader range of goods. From the 1600s, goods began to travel much further distances as they found their way into geographically dispersed market-places. Following the opening of Asia to European trade and the discovery of the New World, merchants imported goods over very long distances: calico cloth from India, porcelain, silk and tea from China, spices from India and South-East Asia and tobacco, sugar, rum and coffee from the New World. By the eighteenth century, a new type of manufacturer-merchant had started to emerge and modern business practices were becoming evident.

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Recent contents Top users
  1. S

    Dodgy fittings

    Any one buy bulk bags of end feed fittings? I find out the say 100 in the about 10/15 are a pain to get on the pipe or just don't fit. Is this normal? this is from a plumbers merchant but found a really cheap supplyer on eBay now
  2. M

    Good service from our favourite merchant.

    Not only did the driver drop off my boiler to the job, he carried it up 4 flights of stairs and left it outside the bathroom for me. Cheap boilers and excellent customer service.
  3. J

    Going to Merchant is like a lottery?

    The other day I was at a merchant (not a chain but independently run merchant) and overheard (quite hard not to as he was quite loud) a guy F'ing this and blinding that and manage to knock off over 30 quids off his parts. Apparently, the merchant tried to charge him £117 quids for the parts he...
  4. D

    merchant in fareham

    been given a voucher for £200 to be used at Williams & Co, Fareham. I can get the exact same brand/model tools from a plumbing merchant delivered to my fron t door includnig VAT for £127. Willaims & Co want £165.50 and are unprepared to discount in any way. The goods are requested for delivery...
  5. A

    Merchant prices

    Went to a local merchant yesterday , they tried to charge me £14 + vat for a bag of 100 22mm talon clips , same bag in plumbfix £7.82 inc vat . I don't mind paying a bit more to support the local merchant but more than double for the same product is taking the mickey I think.
  6. H

    New fittings onto old pipe

    Today I've put some new 22mm ballofix valves onto some old pipework. They tighten up to what would usually be enough, but if I get a spanner on the fitting, I can still rotate the fitting on the old pipe. I'm aware old pipe appears a touch smaller. I've dressed the olives in V2 paste, but yet...
  7. P

    BTSC open for hire tools and merchant

    I wonder i can get my portfolio back in there, please any clues
  8. 3

    Welcome to tile merchant and retailer REID HARRIS of Reading RG30 6AZ

    Welcome to tile merchant and retailer REED HARRIS of Reading RG30 6AZ Reed Harris are the latest tile shop to stock the ENTIRE Porsadrill range of diamond cores. Every single size from the small 6mm upto the 125mm is on the pegs in Branch. Simply call Steve Laws (Branch...
  9. M

    Incoming cold water main Isolation valve passing water when closed - replace?

    Hi, I have noticed when the incoming main valve is fully closed it is still passing water possibly as much as 10% of normal flow. This valve is possibly 20 years old. Should I replace with what? The valve in question looks like an ordinary brass tap. Is this correct for mains isolation? if...
    • mikehardy
    • Thread
    • closed cold cold water incoming isolation main merchant passing replace should valve washer water
    • Replies: 8
    • Forum: Plumbing Jobs | The Job-board
  10. B

    merchant prices and internet prices , which are cheaper?

    Went to buy a gas fire for a customer from the merchants on my trade account , customer can buy the same gas fire £25 cheaper on the internet . What is the point of having a trade account ,all i need is broadband.
  11. D

    performas 28 heat exchanger - what washers do I nered?

    heat exchanger replacement doesnt include any washers - the merchant provided a couiple of O rings, which are too big to be of any use - and i'm not convinced that o rings are what is required in any case - the exchanger that came off didn't seem to have any washers (surely must have had, since...
  12. M

    Recommend a plumbers' merchant in Loughborough or nearby please!

    I'm based in London, but have got a decent-sized job up in Loughborough. Seems a bit pointless loading the van up in London, so looking for recommendations for decent suppliers in Loughborough. Cheers, Masood
  13. 3

    HARLOW: Welcome to WPA Plumbers merchant - Stockists of ********* diamond core drill

    Welcome to WPA plumbers merchant based in Harlow WPA will stock the Bathroom Fitters Kit Close to the M11 this merchant is easy to find. They have taken the PORSADRILL tile drill kit "Bathroom Fitters Kit" The plumbers pack is ideal for installers who need to drill holes into very...
  14. 3

    NEWS: Coventry one day event 3rd May 2012 - Come see us at PLUMBERS MERCHANT !! 365

    Tile drilling specialists 365-Drills are the international manufacturers of patented PORSADRILL diamond hole-saws tips cores & drill bits for perfect holes in very hard bathroom tiles and stones like porcelain granite and marble. Patent GB2434558...
  15. R

    your local plumbers merchant

    just thought of an idea! what with screwfix, plumbcenter etc taking over... who is your local 'proper plumbers merchant' i mean, those who stock absolutely everything from boilers, drainage to tap valves and coloured suites and deliver by barrow?. when you next visit, take a photo on here to...
  16. R

    merchant invoice

    just sitting here after another 8pm finish browsing a merchant invoice for a couple of grand. cross referencing some rad sizes that have changed actually are cheaper on the invoice than the others quoted for also, a program stat that i know was inc vat has been charged ex.?. is it just me or...
  17. U

    End of pipe bleed valve

    Up in the loft, at the top of my heating system, I have a vertical 15mm pipe, with a bleed valve. It's an end cap with a thread on and a little brass cap with a hole screws over the top of it. Last night I overtightened it and ripped the little cap, giving myself a free shower. I have a...
  18. N

    ECA Confeo Combi Boiler

    I Have an ECA Confeo Premix CP24 combi boiler. Supplied and fitted in Nov 2008 it has been fine but has now gone wrong. I cannot find anybody who has heard of them. Merchant and Installer gone bankrupt. Can anybody help?? PS I actually have these in all 5 flats that I owe the bank for!!!
  19. R

    here's one!! merchant cruiser

    the guy who showed me 'every thing he knows' a couple of years ago when i was doing my gas, you know i mentioned him before, the one that told me you do a let-by test at 6mb for one minute (didnt go down to well in my assesments:sick:). well i gave him a hand the other day, tells me the maximum...
  20. W

    Anyone ever replaced a low-level ceramic cistern?

    Done few in plastic. He said he'd prefer ceramic. I said I'd have a look and give him a price for both. Online all I can find is cistens costing hundreds and hundreds. Is that basically the score and I should tell him it's either going to be a fortune or he lumps for plastic? He doesn't want...
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