Definition

1. Noun:

   • The sale of goods to the public for use or consumption, not for resale: "Retail" refers to the business or process of selling products directly to the final consumer, typically in small quantities.

2. Verb:

   • To sell goods to the public for use or consumption: This is the action of selling products directly to consumers.
   • (Of goods) To be sold to the public at a specified price: Used to state the price at which an item is sold to consumers.

3. Adverb:

   • In a way that involves selling directly to consumers: Describes the manner of selling goods at the final consumer price.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She works in retail. (She works in the business of selling goods to consumers.)
  • The company focuses on online retail. (The company's main activity is selling directly to consumers over the internet.)

• Verb:

  • This store retails handmade crafts. (This store sells handmade crafts directly to customers.)
  • These gems retail at thousands of dollars each. (These gems are sold to consumers for a price of thousands of dollars each.)

• Adverb:

  • They only sell their products retail. (They only sell their products directly to the end consumer, not to other businesses.)

Advanced Usage

• "To retail for/at [price]": A common construction to state the consumer price of an item.
  • The new model is expected to retail for around $500. (The new model is expected to be sold to consumers for about $500.)

Variants and Related Words

• Retailer (noun): A person or business that sells goods to the public.
  • Large retailers often have significant buying power.
• Retailing (noun): The business activity of selling goods to the public.
  • He has decades of experience in retailing.

Synonyms

• Sell (verb): To exchange a product for money. (A more general term; "retail" specifies the type of sale.)
• Consumer sales (noun): Sales made to end-users. (A descriptive phrase similar in meaning.)

Related Phrases

• Retail price: The price at which an item is sold to the final consumer.
  • The manufacturer's suggested retail price is $99.
• Retail therapy: Humorous term for shopping to improve one's mood.
  • After a bad day, she went for some retail therapy.

Adverb

1. at a retail price
   • I'll sell it to you retail only

Noun

1. the selling of goods to consumers; usually in small quantities and not for resale

Verb

1. sell on the retail market
2. be sold at the retail level
   • These gems retail at thousands of dollars each