Explanation:

A merchant middleman is one who takes title to the goods and later carries out sales. An agent middleman, on the other hand, does not take title to goods. He simply gets orders from the buyers and passes on the same to the producers. Kinds of Middlemen in Distribution Channel.
A middleman plays the role of an intermediary in a distribution or transaction chain who facilitates interaction between the involved parties. Middlemen specialize in performing crucial activities involved in the purchase and sale of goods in their flow from producers to the ultimate buyers. They typically do not produce anything but possess extensive knowledge of the market, thereby charging a commission or a fee for their services.