Definition

1. Noun:
   • A large retail store: A department store is a large retail establishment that sells a wide variety of goods and merchandise.
   • Organized into departments: The store is divided into distinct sections or departments, each specializing in a particular category of products (e.g., clothing, home goods, cosmetics, electronics).
   • Commonly part of a chain: Many department stores are units of larger retail chains operating in multiple locations.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • We bought the sofa at the new department store downtown.
  • Traditional department stores face increasing competition from online retailers.
  • She works in the shoe department of a large department store.

Advanced Usage

• "anchor store": A major department store that serves as a primary attraction in a shopping mall.
  • The shopping center's success relied on its popular anchor store.

Variants and Related Words

• Department: (n) A distinct section within a larger organization or, in retail, a section selling a specific type of good.
  • Please go to the customer service department.
• Retailer: (n) A business or person that sells goods to the public.
• Emporium: (n) A large retail store selling a wide variety of goods (a somewhat old-fashioned or formal synonym).

Synonyms

• General store (historically, but typically smaller and less departmentalized)
• Mercantile establishment
• Retail outlet

Related Phrases

• Flagship store: The most important store in a retail chain, often the largest or first.
  • The company's flagship store is on Fifth Avenue in New York.

Related Idioms

Noun

1. a large retail store organized into departments offering a variety of merchandise; commonly part of a retail chain