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retail chain

retail chain

4 2.8
A group of stores owned or run by the same company that sell similar goods
  • noun
  • /ˈriːteɪl tʃeɪn/
translation icon : cadena de tiendas
  • Despite the eventual resolution, the inconsistent service shown within the retail chain can do a lot of damage.
  • a large retail chain

Examples

  • At Dunn's, one of Ireland's largest retail chains, people would line up outside the accounts department to cash checks.

  • The new retail chain opened last week, and it offers a wide variety of clothing and accessories.

  • "Like any retail chain, we will continue to look at our individual operating units and their performance.

    Blog text (28)
  • Checking the big retail chains, all online orders were to be shipped between 10 to 40 days.

    Blog text (33)
  • Such tactics have caused many retail chains to look more closely at the sources of their merchandise.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Wal-Mart has become one of America's most successful retail chains by offering everyday goods at low prices for working families.

    Blog text (34)
  • One of the challenges in the past for publishers of Christian fiction had been getting distribution in the large retail chains and not simply in the mom-and-pop Christian bookstores.

    Academic text (2009)
  • In fact, consumer concerns have even induced large retail chains such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot to choose their suppliers partly on the basis of environmental criteria.

    Academic text (1997)
  • Many popular brands are available at the retail chain near my house, making shopping convenient.

  • People often choose to shop at a retail chain because they appreciate the consistent quality of products.

Synonyms

chain
vsretail chain
310 2.9

A group of shops or restaurants owned by the same company

is limited to groups of stores selling similar merchandise rather than any business
discount chain
vsretail chain
  • UK
1 3.0

A group of shops owned by the same company that sell goods at low prices

focuses on low prices rather than general similarity of merchandise
apparel chain
vsretail chain
1 3.7

A company that owns many clothing stores under the same brand

is broader, covering any group of stores not only clothing sellers

How Big

superstore
13 2.3
retail chain
4 2.8
drugstore
  • US
103 1.0
tuck shop
  • UK
4.5
kiosk
32 3.3

Surface Forms

retail chain singular
retail chains plural

Morphology

retail + chain

The noun 'retail chain' is directly compositional: combining 'retail' (selling to consumers) with 'chain' (multiple outlets under one operator) yields the meaning 'a group of retail stores'. This business/commercial compound follows obvious, cross-linguistic naming patterns and would be readily understood by a B1 learner who knows both constituent words.

Etymology

Retail chain comes from the idea of shops linked together like metal links in a chain, with each retail store sharing the same name and owner. So, it means 'a group of stores run by the same company'.