What is Retailing? Definition and Usage

Meaning 1：retail trade (retailing)

retailing 🔊

/ˈriːteɪlɪŋ/

The business of selling goods directly to customers, usually in small quantities, through shops or online.

Retailing illustrated: a modern store scene showing direct-to-consumer sales at a checkout counter.

retail trade 🔊

➕

/ˈriːteɪl treɪd/

The activity or business of selling goods to the public in relatively small quantities for use or consumption rather than for resale.

📁 Category：Social Economy 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From 'retail' (sell in small quantities, from Old French 'retaillier', to cut off) + '-ing' (noun-forming suffix indicating an activity).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: REpeatedly Telling AILing businesses how to sell directly to customers. 'Retail' is in the middle.

📖 Example

She chose a career in online retailing because she enjoys interacting with customers daily. 🔊 She selected a profession in online retail trade due to her daily enjoyment of customer interaction.

🔗 Collocations

online retailing – the business of selling goods to consumers via the internet

bricks-and-mortar retailing – traditional retail business conducted in physical stores

retailing industry – the sector of the economy comprising businesses that sell goods to the public

🔄 Synonyms

retail sector (n.) – refers to the retail industry as a whole, emphasizing its economic segment

retail business (n.) – a company or enterprise engaged in selling goods to consumers

merchandising (n.) – the activity of promoting the sale of goods, especially by their presentation in retail outlets

🚫 Antonyms

wholesaling (n.) – the business of selling goods in large quantities at low prices to retailers, not directly to consumers

🌱 Derivatives

retail (v.) – to sell goods to the public in small quantities

retailer (n.) – a person or business that sells goods to the public

📖 Cultural Story

The word 'retail' originates from the Old French 'retaillier', meaning 'to cut off, clip, pare, divide'. This reflects the concept of selling goods in small, individual quantities 'cut off' from a larger bulk. Its modern use boomed with the rise of department stores in the 19th century and has been fundamentally reshaped by the e-commerce revolution.