Retail Facts for Kids

A cheese retail store.

The Apple concept store in San Francisco immerses consumers in the Apple user experience with 6K Video Wall, user stations, free wi-fi, tech desk and more

Retail is the process of selling consumer goods or services to customers through multiple channels of distribution to earn a profit. Retailers satisfy demand identified through a supply chain. The term "retailer" is typically applied where a service provider fills the small orders of a large number of individuals, who are end-users, rather than large orders of a small number of wholesale, corporate or government clientele. Shopping generally refers to the act of buying products. Sometimes this is done to obtain final goods, including necessities such as food and clothing; sometimes it takes place as a recreational activity. Recreational shopping often involves window shopping and browsing: it does not always result in a purchase.

Retail markets and shops have a very ancient history, dating back to antiquity. Some of the earliest retailers were itinerant peddlers. Over the centuries, retail shops were transformed from little more than "rude booths" to the sophisticated shopping malls of the modern era.

Most modern retailers typically make a variety of strategic level decisions including the type of store, the market to be served, the optimal product assortment, customer service, supporting services and the store's overall market positioning. Once the strategic retail plan is in place, retailers devise the retail mix which includes product, price, place, promotion, personnel and presentation. In the digital age, an increasing number of retailers are seeking to reach broader markets by selling through multiple channels, including both bricks and mortar and online retailing. Digital technologies are also changing the way that consumers pay for goods and services. Retailing support services may also include the provision of credit, delivery services, advisory services, stylist services and a range of other supporting services.

Retail shops occur in a diverse range of types and in many different contexts – from strip shopping centres in residential streets through to large, indoor shopping malls. Shopping streets may restrict traffic to pedestrians only. Sometimes a shopping street has a partial or full roof to create a more comfortable shopping environment – protecting customers from various types of weather conditions such as extreme temperatures, winds or precipitation. Forms of non-shop retailing include online retailing (a type of electronic-commerce used for business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions) and mail order.

Images for kids

A grocery and cosmetics store in Tangier, Morocco
Galeries de bois at au Palais-Royal, one of the earliest shopping arcades in Europe
Retailers make many strategic decisions – store type, market served, product assortment and customer services
The retailer also considers the overall strategic position and retail image
The retail marketing mix or the 6 Ps of retailing
Extensive use of the terminal digit 'nine' suggests that psychological pricing is at play
One of the most well-known cross-selling sales scripts comes from McDonald's. "Would you like fries with that?"
Modern technologies are often displayed in clean environments with much empty space.
The retail servicescape includes the appearance, equipment, display space, retail counters, signage, layout and functionality of a retail outlet. Pictured: Harrods food court
People who shop for pleasure are known as recreational shoppers. The recreational shopper has its origins in the grand European shopping arcades. Pictured: The gentry in a Dutch lace shop in the 17th century
Apple's concept stores include video walls, Wi-Fi and desks to provide an immersive customer experience
U.S. Monthly Retail Sales, 1992–2010
The two largest supermarkets chains in Switzerland, Migros and Coop, are cooperatives.
Japan has the largest number of vending machines per capita.

Retail facts for kids

Images for kids

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