What it means
عمدهفروشی (omde-forushi) means wholesale, the practice of selling goods in large volumes at lower unit prices, typically from a manufacturer or distributor to a retailer rather than to a final customer. The word is a compound: عمده (omde) comes from the Arabic root عُمْدَة (umda), meaning chief or principal, and فروشی (forushi) is a pure Persian suffix meaning selling. Together they describe selling in the main or bulk sense. Its natural counterpart is خردهفروشی (khorde-forushi), which means retail.
How to use it
- ما فقط عمدهفروشی میکنیم. (mâ faqat omde-forushi mikonim.) “We only do wholesale.”
- قیمت عمدهفروشی خیلی پایینتره. (qeymat-e omde-forushi kheyli pâyin-tare.) “The wholesale price is much lower.”
- میخوام از یه عمدهفروش مستقیم بخرم. (mikhâm az ye omde-forush mostaghim bekharam.) “I want to buy directly from a wholesaler.”
- بازار بزرگ تهران مرکز عمدهفروشیه. (bâzâr-e bozorg-e Tehrân markaz-e omde-forushiye.) “The Grand Bazaar of Tehran is a wholesale hub.”
Cultural note
Wholesale trade has been central to Iran’s commercial culture for centuries, especially through the network of bazaars in major cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Tabriz. The Grand Bazaar in Tehran (بازار بزرگ تهران) remains one of the largest covered markets in the world, functioning primarily as a wholesale distribution center where merchants buy in bulk and then supply smaller shops across the country. Understanding the distinction between omde-forushi and khorde-forushi is essential for anyone doing business in Iran, as pricing and relationships differ significantly between the two channels.