Even larger retailers purchased some celery from wholesale firms,

 usually those on terminal markets. Proportions ranged from small

 amounts or "fill-ins" to as much as 85 percent bought from wholesalers

 by one retail firm. Retailers that normally buy full loads directly

 from shippers obtain partial loads from wholesalers or from shippers

 with capabilities of providing mixed loads.

 As expected, retailers handling smaller volumes of celery bought

 most of their supplies from wholesalers or repackers. Over half of

 the celery volume handled by firms classed as "small" came from whole-

 salers compared with six percent bought by "large" retailers (Table 7).

 One exception to the general findings noted just above is in cel-

 ery heart volume in the Boston area. Hearts make up a higher propor-

 tion of retail celery sales in Boston than in the other two market

 areas, as discussed later. Several repacker-wholesalers in the Boston

 area provide most of the celery hearts for retailers there.


 Table 7.--Retailers included in study: combined weekly celery volume
 and proportion purchased from shippers and wholesalers

 Combined Supplier Type
 Size Class
 Weekly Volume Shipper Wholesaler

 Crates ---------Percent----------
Small
(Under 500 cr./wk.) 1,550 48 52

Medium
(500-1,250 cr./wk.) 6,050 71 29

Large
(Over 1,250 cr./wk.) 11,700 94 6

 Total 19,300 83 17