# retail

/ˈɹiˌteɪɫ/ (US) · /ɹˈiːteɪl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/retail
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. the business of selling

noun · CEFR B2

the activity of selling goods to the public in shops or online.

For teachers: the commercial sector involved in selling products directly to end-users rather than to wholesalers or other businesses.

- She has worked in retail for five years, mostly in clothing shops.
- The shift toward e-commerce has forced traditional retail giants to rethink their physical storefront strategies to remain competitive.

### 2. full price

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal

the full price of an item before any discounts or sales.

For teachers: the suggested or standard price of a commodity before the application of discounts, rebates, or promotional offers.

- I never pay retail for electronics; I always wait for a holiday sale.
- While the manufacturer's suggested price is high, few consumers actually pay retail due to the prevalence of seasonal markdowns.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'pay retail'.

### 3. relating to selling to the public

adjective · CEFR B2

describing things related to shops and selling to customers.

For teachers: pertaining to the sale of goods or services directly to individuals.

- The new retail park has plenty of parking for shoppers.
- The city council approved the development of a new retail space designed to attract high-end boutique brands to the downtown area.

### 4. to be sold at a price

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to be sold at a specific price in shops.

For teachers: to be sold at a specified price to the general public.

- This new smartphone will retail for about six hundred dollars.
- The luxury watch is expected to retail at a significant premium compared to the previous generation's entry-level model.

Usage: Usually followed by 'for' or 'at'.

### 5. to repeat information

verb · CEFR C2 · Literary · Archaic

to tell a story or piece of news to other people.

For teachers: to recount or relate a story, news, or gossip to others.

- He was happy to retail all the latest gossip from the office.
- She spent the evening retailing the details of her travels to an increasingly bored audience of relatives.

### 6. in small quantities

adverb · CEFR C1 · Technical

selling in small amounts directly to the person who will use the product.

For teachers: in a retail manner; directly to the consumer in small quantities.

- The company decided to sell its products retail instead of through a middleman.
- By selling retail, the artisan was able to maintain higher profit margins than if they had used a distributor.

## Examples

- She has worked in retail for five years.
- The new shopping mall will create hundreds of retail jobs for people living in the local area.
- The shift toward e-commerce has forced traditional retail businesses to rethink their physical presence and focus more on the customer experience within their flagship stores.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.