What Did Medieval Merchants Sell?

By Staff WriterLast Updated March 26, 2020

Medieval merchants sold everyday items, such as food, razors, cleaning products, spindles, whetstones, clothing and other household goods. They also traded in luxury products, such as silk, leather, perfumes, jewels and glass.

Medieval merchants sourced their supplies and sold to customers in shops and markets. The merchants crossed foreign boundaries when trading and paid taxes or offered gifts to the local rulers. As a result of the trade, the merchants became wealthy members of the society. This led to the formation of the Merchant Guild, which was an association of the medieval traders. The association controlled how trade was done and implemented rules on how trade was to be done.