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chain store

chain store

8 2.4
A store that is part of a group owned by the same company and sells the same goods
  • noun
  • /tʃeɪn stɔr/
translation icon : cadena de tiendas
  • Chain stores did not offer credit either, but they did gain some popularity among black consumers.

Examples

  • Each day brings more chain stores and fewer mom-and-pop places.

    Blog text (9)
  • If we went to a big chain store like Walmart, of course it would have been cheaper.

  • I worked at one regional chain store, off and on, for years.

    Blog text (13)
  • Or if you can get some chain stores, it just saves you a ton of effort.

  • Because you're in the chain store business.

  • That's how chain stores work.

  • The second-lowest was a regional chain store in a nearby town.

    Blog text (34)
  • Booksellers suffered, too, with the large chain stores reporting significant losses of revenue.

    Academic text (2009)
  • For one, I really recommend CB2—a chain store—but it is a fantastic resource.

    Blog text (24)
  • In the South Congress area, there are very few chain stores and restaurants.

Synonyms

store
vschain store
1.0

A shop where people buy goods like food or clothes

is specifically one outlet among many under the same company
retail store
vschain store
27 1.0

A shop that sells goods in small amounts directly to people

is one of several outlets owned by the same company

How Widespread

chain
310 2.9
chain store
8 2.4
independent
360 2.8

Surface Forms

chain store singular
chain stores plural

Morphology

chain + store

The meaning is directly and compositionally derived from 'chain' (a network/group of outlets) + 'store' (a shop): a store that belongs to a chain. This noun–noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistic pattern of modification and should be immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both constituent meanings.

Etymology

Chain store comes from the image of shops linked together like a chain, with each store acting as one link that looks and sells the same things. That's why chain store means 'a group of shops owned by the same company'.