noun / verb / adjective / adverb
retail
REE-tayl/ˈriːteɪl/
The sale of goods directly to consumers rather than to resellers.
The baker sells a single loaf retail to the customer.
Etymology
Cutting off pieces underlies the idea of selling goods by the piece rather than wholesale. This commercial sense may reflect cognate Italian ritaglio, rather than the French noun's meaning of a scrap or cutting.
In context
i'm driving around the country selling our designs directly into retail shops which sell um to the home maker
More examples
- The company retails household goods.
- She worked in retail.
- The shoes retailed for eighty dollars.
Forms
retail · retails · retailed · retailing
retailer noun — a seller of goods to consumers
Similar words
- wholesale
- Sells mainly to resellers or in large business quantities.
- commerce
- Covers trade more broadly than consumer sales.