consolidator

consolidator con‧sol‧i‧da‧tor [kənˈsɒldeɪtə ǁ -ˈsɑːldeɪtər] noun [countable]

1. FINANCE a larger company that takes control of smaller ones:

• In view of its size, the company has been seen as a possible consolidator in the European insurance industry.

2. COMMERCE a business that brings together and sells at a reduced price things that other producers or suppliers have not been able to sell:

• Consolidators buy up surplus airline tickets and offer bargain prices.

3. COMMERCE TRANSPORT a transport company that combines small loads sent by different companies into bigger ones:

• Container transport documents are issued frequently by freight forwarders or consolidators.

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consolidator UK US /kənˈsɒlɪdeɪtə^r/ noun [C]

► COMMERCE a company that buys a supply of particular goods or services from different places and then offers them for sale to the public: »

Hotel Reservations Network is a hotel room consolidator which takes advantage of volume buying to offer large discounts on rooms in major cities.

► ECONOMICS, FINANCE a large, successful company that buys other companies in order to form a larger organization: »

It has been one of the most aggressive consolidators in the investment banking industry sector.

► TRANSPORT a transport company that arranges for goods sent by different companies to be stored and transported together: »

We are a consolidator, offering freight consolidation services for international shipping.