委託販売

• Reading: いたくはんばい
• Romaji: itaku hanbai
• Kanji breakdown: 委 (i) — entrust; 託 (taku) — entrust, request; 販 (han) — sell; 売 (bai/u) — sell
• Pronunciation: /i.ta.kɯ.ham.ba.i/

Meaning

Consignment sales; selling goods on behalf of another party, with the consignor retaining ownership until the goods are sold.

A noun compound describing an arrangement where a consignee sells products for a consignor and receives a commission, while unsold goods are returned. Common in publishing, art galleries, and boutique retail. Risk remains with the owner (consignor) until sale, unlike outright purchase. The contractual details are set out in a 委託販売契約書.

Examples

1. 出版社が書店に本を委託販売する形式は業界の慣行だ。 The arrangement whereby publishers sell books to bookshops on consignment is standard industry practice.
2. 委託販売では売れ残りを返品できるため、店側のリスクが低い。 In consignment sales, unsold goods can be returned, so the risk to the retailer is low.
3. 委託販売契約を結ぶ際は手数料率を明確にしておくべきだ。 When concluding a consignment sales agreement, the commission rate should be clearly defined.

Usage Guide

Context: retail, publishing, contracts, distribution

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 委託 (itaku — entrusting, commissioning) and 販売 (hanbai — sales). The 委 element implies the formal entrusting of goods to another party for sale on the owner's behalf.

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: Adults

Social background: Business professionals