NOGA 46
Wholesalers of machinery, building materials, food and drinks, pharmaceutical and medical products, chemicals, metals and consumer goods, and trade agents: for manufacturers looking for sales partners, logistics providers, packaging and software vendors.
Our Swiss database holds 1,005,992 records (as of 4 November 2026): the entities in the commercial register and places from Overture Maps without a match. They are not yet assigned to industries; the quotation states the size available for this industry, the reference date and the delivery date.
Export of the whole industry: CHF 389 (final price). Selections by canton, municipality, language region or your own filters are quoted on request.
Official statistics: 19,649 businesses in Switzerland according to FSO, STATENT, table px-x-0602010000_106 (reference year 2024, table updated 20 August 2026). Division 46 wholesale trade (except motor vehicles), including trade agents (46.1). This is the size of the market, not the size of our database.
This industry corresponds to NOGA division 46 wholesale trade (except motor vehicles), including trade agents (46.1). According to the FSO (STATENT 2024) there are 19,649 businesses. The largest types: wholesale of other machinery and equipment (2,505), non-specialised wholesale (1,915) and building materials (1,010).
Many Swiss wholesalers are also importers. There is no separate code for import and export; importers are listed under their product range.
| NOGA 2008 | Official title | For your selection |
|---|---|---|
| 46.1 | Wholesale on a fee or contract basis | trade agents and intermediaries by product group |
| 46.3 | Wholesale of food, beverages and tobacco | including wine and spirits (654) |
| 46.46 | Wholesale of pharmaceutical goods | Swiss types for pharmaceuticals (501) and medical devices (839) |
| 46.6 | Wholesale of other machinery, equipment and supplies | industrial and office machinery |
| 46.73 | Wholesale of wood, construction materials and sanitary equipment | building materials trade |
| 46.90 | Non-specialised wholesale trade | trading houses with a broad range |
Wholesale is generally free. For some product groups a licence is required.
These 16 columns are planned.
Many wholesalers supply both trade and private customers. NOGA classifies by main activity; a drinks dealer with home delivery can be under wholesale or retail. For complete lists, request both codes.
Trade agents (46.1) do not own the goods themselves. For manufacturers looking for representation, they are often more interesting than classic wholesalers.
We manufacture tools and are looking for wholesalers of hardware and plumbing supplies (46.74) and building materials dealers (46.73) across Switzerland, with a website. How many records is that?
Use
Win wholesalers and agents of a product range as sales partners.
Approach wholesalers with storage needs in a region.
Select trading firms by size and canton for product presentations.
Reach wholesalers with their own shipping by post and samples.
Questions
Planned once the records carry a NOGA code; until then we check the definition in the quotation. Wholesale on a fee or contract basis is a separate NOGA group (46.1), subdivided by product group, for example agents for machinery (46.14) or food (46.17).
No. NOGA has no code for importing. Importers are under their product range in wholesale; whether a company imports follows from its website or purpose.
No. Trade in motor vehicles and parts belongs to division 45 and is under Motor trade and garages.
19,649 businesses in Switzerland according to FSO, STATENT, table px-x-0602010000_106 (reference year 2024, table updated 20 August 2026). Division 46 wholesale trade (except motor vehicles), including trade agents (46.1). This is an official statistic, not the size of our dataset.
Format, sources, price and marketing law (UWG, asterisk marking): questions about all industries.
