• The terms vendor and supplier are commonly encountered in businesses that procure goods and services from outside.
• Both vendors and suppliers can provide goods and services to a company
• A vendor is more close to the end consumer than a supplier who appears to be earlier in the supply chain
• Vendor is a more generic term and applies to anybody supplying goods and services
• A vendor is rarely a manufacturer and gets products on consignment basis from the manufacturers. He can return unsold items and get his commission
• A supplier is many a times manufacturer also.