retail

The word “retail” means the business of selling goods directly to individual customers, rather than in bulk to other businesses. In plain terms, selling to the public, or the price the public pays.

“Retail” is pronounced REE-tayl (/ˈɹiˌteɪl/ in IPA).

Here is “retail” used in a sentence: “She has worked in retail for over a decade.”

The opposite of “retail” — its antonyms — is wholesale.

Depending on how it is used, “retail” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “retail” comes from Old French. From the Old French verb retaillier, "to cut off a piece" — reflecting the idea of selling goods in smaller portions rather than wholesale.

“Retail” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Retail” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the business of selling goods directly to individual customers, rather than in bulk to other businesses.

Retail is selling goods directly to individual customers in small quantities, usually at full price. Wholesale is selling in bulk to businesses, such as shops, at lower per-unit prices. A wholesaler supplies the retailer, who then sells on to the public. The gap between the two prices is the retail margin.

Retail takes many forms, including physical stores like supermarkets, department stores, and boutiques, as well as online or e-commerce selling. Other types include specialty shops, discount and convenience stores, and direct-to-consumer brands. What unites them is selling goods straight to the end customer rather than in bulk.

A supermarket selling groceries to shoppers is retail, as is a clothing shop, a bookstore, or an online store shipping single orders to homes. Each buys or produces goods and sells them directly to individual customers. Even buying a coffee from a cafe is a retail transaction.