Shopping

• English
• Special Education

Causation

What Kind of Shops are there?

There are shops for everything you need to buy. In the UK and Australia, we use the word shop. In America and Canada, they use the word store. But they are the same thing.

Usually, we apply the word shop or store for the kind of shop that it is. For example, shoe shop, bookstore, clothes shop, sports store and so on.

This is a list of most shops and stores you need to know in English along with what you can buy there.

Baker/Bread Shop/Bread Store

In the bread shop, you can buy bread, cakes, pastries, croissants and other food made from flour. If the shop is a traditional bakery, then they make the bread and cakes on the premises. But many bread shops today are part of a chain and they have all the bread delivered to the shop every day.

Corner Shop

A corner shop is a British tradition. We can usually find a corner shop at the end of a local street in many neighbourhoods in towns and cities across the UK. Locals usually refer to it as The Corner Shop.

A mother might give her young son some money and say: “Go to the corner shop and buy some milk.”

The corner shop sells all kinds of household goods and simple food. It also sells newspapers, cigarettes, soft drinks and sometimes alcohol.

Market

Many towns have a market. You can find a market in some larger cities too. The market is usually an open-air space filled with stalls that sell different items.

There could be a fruit and vegetable market and this would only sell fruit and vegetables — and maybe some other food too. This is often known as a farmers market in America. In Asia, it is known as a wet market.

But there are markets for clothes, books, second-hand items and electronics.

Convenience Store

Convenience stores are originally from America. Probably the most well-known convenience store is 7-Eleven.

Convenience stores are like corner shops from Britain. The only difference being is that convenience stores are often open 24-hours.

We can now find them all over the world — each country has its own brand of convenience stores as well as the global brand 7-Eleven.

Butcher

This is a shop that sells all kinds of meat. A traditional butcher may be hard to find these days as the larger supermarkets have taken over.

A few years ago, a butcher shop would employ people that were trained in the meat industry. They understood how to cut the meat in the right way and could advise customers on different types of meat.

But now people usually buy meat in the supermarket.

Off License/Liquor Store

As the name implies, this is where you buy wine. You can also buy beer and stronger alcohol, such as whisky, vodka and gin.

In the UK, we use the term off-license. These shops operate on strict licensing laws. You can only buy alcohol if you are over the age of 18 and during certain times of the day.

In America, you must be over 21 to buy any alcohol and the licensing times of day may be different for each state.

Computer Shop/Computer Store

This is where you buy computers and all computer parts and accessories.

The computer shop is usually privately owned and run by people that have a good understanding of computers. The shop may also run a service department where you can have your computer repaired.

Bookshop/Book Store

The book shop sells books!

Book shops are becoming quite rare these days. Years ago, it was easy to find two or three bookshops in any town. But larger book chains took over and the smaller shops died out. Examples of large book shop chains are Waterstones in the UK and Barnes & Noble in America.

But now even the larger chains are against competition as people buy digital books from Amazon.

Music Shop/Music Store

The music shop sells all kinds of musical instruments and accessories. The staff in the music shop are usually musicians, but not always.

Customers can often get music lessons in the music shop. They can learn to play guitar or piano.

Chemist/Drugstore/Pharmacy

In the UK, we say chemist or pharmacy. In America, they say drugstore or pharmacy.

This is where you buy all your medicine. You can buy medicine for a cough and common cold, for headaches and other minor ailments.

If you have a doctor’s prescription, the chemist can supply this medicine for you too.

Often the chemist sells other products, such as toothpaste, soap, shampoo and skin products.

Many countries have chain-store drugstores these days. These are like small supermarkets that sell a big range of health and beauty products as well as medicine.

Shopping Mall

The shopping mall concept originally started in America. Now we can see shopping malls all over the world.

Shopping malls are often very big. There could be several floors. You can buy cosmetics, women’s fashion, men’s fashion, shoes, electronics and home products.

There could also be an electronics department.

On the top floor, there might be a cinema. And in the basement, a food court. This is full of restaurants, and coffee shops.

Clothes Shop/Clothes Store

And the clothes shop sells clothes!

These days, we can usually find clothes shops in the shopping mall or department store. But you might still see them in town centres too.

Clothes shops usually cater for defined markets. So you might have a clothes shop that sells casual fashion wear for young people or smart clothes for the professional. There are many variations of clothes shops.

Gift Shop/Gift Store

If you want to buy someone a special gift for their birthday or any other celebration, then you can visit the gift shop.

Gift shops sell items such as cups and other chinaware, simple kind of jewellery, scented candles, t-shirts and hats with a special slogan written on the front, board games, puzzles and simple decorations.

These places are ideal to buy someone a gift, but you have no idea what to give to them.

Florist/Flower Shop/Flower Store

The florist sells flowers and plants. Usually, a good florist or flower shop can advise you on which flowers and plants to buy. They can present the flowers in a beautiful bouquet too.

You can see flower shops everywhere but often near a hospital as people like to give hospital patients flowers.

Sport Shop/Sports Store

This is where you can buy all your sports clothing, accessories and equipment. The sports shop might sell top range sports shoes such as Nike and Adidas. But also lesser-known brands for tennis equipment or swimming or any other sport.

 

Greengrocer

This is a very old-fashioned shop that sells fruit and vegetables. We use the word ‘green’ for all the green healthy vegetables in the shop.

These days people usually buy their fruit and vegetables in a supermarket because it is more convenient. But you might still find a traditional greengrocer in a small town.

Pet Shop/Pet Store

This is where people buy a pet.

You might see pet dogs or cats in the window to attract customers. The people working in the pet store must have a good knowledge of animals.

Some pet shops sell exotic pets — such as spiders, snakes or lizards.

Most pet stores sell pet accessories and some may sell animal health products.

Supermarket

There are supermarkets everywhere these days. This is where we buy our food — fruit, vegetables, meat, fish and eggs. Along with other household items such as soap or cleaning products.

Supermarkets are designed to be very convenient as we can buy all the regular household items under one roof.

Jewellery Shop/Jewelry Store

If you need to buy jewellery, then this is where you come. A jewellery shop sells rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. They may also sell special stones like diamonds and rubies. They could also sell gold.

Please note the spelling:

Jewellery — British English

Jewelry — American English

Write about the following shops/stores?

Baker/Bread Shop/Bread Store

Corner Shop

Market

Convenience Store

Butcher

Off License/Liquor Store

Computer Shop/Computer Store

Bookshop/Book Store

Music Shop/Music Store

Chemist/Drugstore/Pharmacy

Shopping Mall

Clothes Shop/Clothes Store

Gift Shop/Gift Store

Florist/Flower Shop/Flower Store

Sport Shop/Sports Store

Greengrocer

Pet Shop/Pet Store

Supermarket

Jewellery Shop/Jewelry Store