Shop vs. Store — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 5, 2023
Shop and Store both refer to places where goods are sold, but a shop often implies a smaller venue, while a store can be larger and offer a wider variety.
Difference Between Shop and Store
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
A "shop" generally denotes a place of business, typically smaller in size, where goods and services are available for purchase. On the other hand, a "store" often refers to a larger establishment, possibly part of a chain, that offers a wider array of products. Both "shop" and "store" are places where customers can make purchases, but the ambience and experience can differ based on the size and range of products.
The word "shop" can also connote a sense of specialization. For instance, one might visit a "bake shop" for pastries or a "flower shop" for floral arrangements. In contrast, a "store" such as a department store would house multiple categories of products under one roof. Both terms, "shop" and "store", cater to the needs of consumers, but a shop might offer a more specific or niche experience.
In some regions and cultural contexts, the words "shop" and "store" might be used interchangeably. For example, someone might say, "I'm going to the shop" even if they're referring to a large supermarket. Conversely, the term "store" can be used to denote even smaller venues if that's the regional preference. Both "shop" and "store" serve the same primary purpose – retailing goods to customers.
Interestingly, the online world has adopted the term "shop" to denote a digital storefront. Websites may refer to their "online shop", even if they offer a wide array of products. Meanwhile, the term "store" still often implies a physical location, even in online conversations. Both "shop" and "store" have found their places in digital and physical retail landscapes, respectively.
Comparison Chart
Size
Typically smaller.
Generally larger, can be part of a chain.
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Range of Products
More specialized, limited variety.
Broader range, multiple categories.
Connotation
Can denote specialization or niche.
Implies a broader, general merchandise selection.
Cultural Usage
In some places, refers to any retail venue.
Might be seen as a more formal retail place.
Online Presence
Often used for digital storefronts ("online shop").
Usually denotes physical locations.
Compare with Definitions
Shop
A place where things are manufactured or repaired.
I took my car to the repair shop.
Store
A large retail establishment selling a wide variety of goods.
The department store had everything from clothes to kitchenware.
Shop
An online platform for selling products.
I bought the necklace from her online shop.
Store
A place where items are kept for future use.
We keep the extra supplies in the store room.
Shop
Also shoppe A small retail store or a specialty department in a large store.
Store
A digital platform for apps or software.
Download the application from the app store.
Shop
An atelier; a studio.
Store
A place where merchandise is offered for sale; a shop.
Shop
A place for manufacturing or repairing goods or machinery.
Store
A stock or supply reserved for future use
A squirrel's store of acorns.
Shop
A commercial or industrial establishment
A printing shop.
Store
Stores Supplies, especially of food, clothing, or arms.
Shop
A business establishment; an office or a center of activity.
Store
A place where commodities are kept; a warehouse or storehouse.
Shop
A home workshop.
Store
A great quantity or number; an abundance.
Shop
A schoolroom fitted with machinery and tools for instruction in industrial arts.
Store
To reserve or put away for future use.
Shop
The industrial arts as a technical science or course of study.
Store
To fill, supply, or stock.
Shop
To visit stores in search of merchandise or bargains.
Store
To deposit or receive in a storehouse or warehouse for safekeeping.
Shop
To look for something with the intention of acquiring it.
Store
(Computers) To copy (data) into memory or onto a storage device, such as a hard disk.
Shop
To visit or buy from (a particular store).
Store
A place where items may be accumulated or routinely kept.
This building used to be a store for old tires.
Shop
An establishment that sells goods or services to the public; originally only a physical location, but now a virtual establishment as well.
Store
A supply held in storage.
Shop
A place where things are manufactured or crafted; a workshop.
Store
(mainly North American) A place where items may be purchased; a shop.
I need to get some milk from the grocery store.
Shop
A large garage where vehicle mechanics work.
Store
Memory.
The main store of 1000 36-bit words seemed large at the time.
Shop
Workplace; office. Used mainly in expressions such as shop talk, closed shop and shop floor.
Store
A great quantity or number; abundance.
Shop
Discussion of business or professional affairs.
Store
A head of store cattle (feeder cattle to be sold to others for finishing); a store cattle beast.
Shop
A variety of classes taught in junior or senior high school that teach vocational skill.
Store
(transitive) To keep (something) while not in use, generally in a place meant for that purpose.
I'll store these books in the attic.
Shop
An establishment where a barber or beautician works.
A barber shop
Store
Contain.
The cabinets store all the food the mice would like.
Shop
An act of shopping, especially routine shopping for food and other domestic supplies.
This is where I do my weekly shop.
Store
Have the capacity and capability to contain.
They sell boxes that store 24 mason jars.
Shop
(intransitive) To visit stores or shops to browse or explore merchandise, especially with the intention of buying such merchandise.
I went shopping early before the Christmas rush.
He’s shopping for clothes.
Store
To write (something) into memory or registers.
This operation stores the result on the stack.
Shop
(transitive) To purchase products from (a range or catalogue, etc.).
Shop our new arrivals.
Store
That which is accumulated, or massed together; a source from which supplies may be drawn; hence, an abundance; a great quantity, or a great number.
The ships are fraught with store of victuals.
With store of ladies, whose bright eyesRain influence, and give the prize.
Shop
To report the criminal activities or whereabouts of someone to an authority.
He shopped his mates in to the police.
Store
A place of deposit for goods, esp. for large quantities; a storehouse; a warehouse; a magazine.
Shop
To imprison.
Store
Any place where goods are sold, whether by wholesale or retail; a shop.
Shop
To photoshop; to digitally edit a picture or photograph.
Store
Articles, especially of food, accumulated for some specific object; supplies, as of provisions, arms, ammunition, and the like; as, the stores of an army, of a ship, of a family.
His swine, his horse, his stoor, and his poultry.
In his needy shop a tortoise hung,An alligator stuffed, and other skinsOf ill-shaped fishes; and about his shelvesA beggarly account of empty boxes.
Sulphurous and nitrous foam, . . . Concocted and adjusted, they reducedTo blackest grain, and into store conveyed.
Shop
(dated) Used to attract the services of a shop assistant
Store
Accumulated; hoarded.
Shop
A building or an apartment in which goods, wares, drugs, etc., are sold by retail.
From shop to shopWandering, and littering with unfolded silksThe polished counter.
Store
To collect as a reserved supply; to accumulate; to lay away.
Dora stored what little she could save.
Shop
A building in which mechanics or artisans work; as, a shoe shop; a car shop.
A tailor called me in his shop.
Store
To furnish; to supply; to replenish; esp., to stock or furnish against a future time.
Her mind with thousand virtues stored.
Wise Plato said the world with men was stored.
Having stored a pond of four acres with carps, tench, and other fish.
Shop
A person's occupation, business, profession, or the like, as a subject of attention, interest, conversation, etc.; - sometimes in deprecation or disapproval; as, to talk shop at a party. Also used attributively, as in shop talk.
Store
To deposit in a store, warehouse, or other building, for preservation; to warehouse; as, to store goods.
Shop
A place where any industry is carried on; as, a chemist's shop;
Store
A mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services;
He bought it at a shop on Cape Cod
Shop
Any place of resort, as one's house, a restaurant, etc.
Store
A supply of something available for future use;
He brought back a large store of Cuban cigars
Shop
The group of workers and the activities controlled by an administrator; as, to have five people in one's shop.
Store
An electronic memory device;
A memory and the CPU form the central part of a computer to which peripherals are attached
Shop
To visit shops for the purpose of purchasing goods.
He was engaged with his mother and some ladies to go shopping.
Store
A depository for goods;
Storehouses were built close to the docks
Shop
A mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services;
He bought it at a shop on Cape Cod
Store
Keep or lay aside for future use;
Store grain for the winter
The bear stores fat for the period of hibernation when he doesn't eat
Shop
Small workplace where handcrafts or manufacturing are done
Store
Find a place for and put away for storage;
Where should we stow the vegetables?
I couldn't store all the books in the attic so I sold some
Shop
A course of instruction in a trade (as carpentry or electricity);
I built a birdhouse in shop
Store
A stock or supply of something.
The farmer had a store of grains for the winter.
Shop
Do one's shopping;
She goes shopping every Friday
Store
A verb meaning to retain or accumulate for future use.
Store the leftovers in the refrigerator.
Shop
Do one's shopping at; do business with; be a customer or client of
Shop
Shop around; not necessarily buying;
I don't need help, I'm just browsing
Shop
Give away information about somebody;
He told on his classmate who had cheated on the exam
Shop
A small retail establishment selling specific goods.
The town has a quaint coffee shop.
Shop
A space or room for a particular purpose.
The artist had a shop at the back of her house.
Shop
A verb referring to the act of purchasing.
I love to shop for vintage clothes.
Common Curiosities
Can a shop offer a variety of products like a store?
Yes, some shops might have varied offerings, though stores typically have a wider range.
Are online marketplaces referred to as shops or stores?
Both terms can be used, but "shop" is more commonly associated with online storefronts.
Is a boutique a shop or a store?
A boutique is typically considered a specialized type of shop.
Which is more formal: shop or store?
Neither is inherently more formal, but "store" might be seen as more comprehensive.
Can the terms shop and store be used interchangeably?
In some regions and contexts, they can be, but they have distinct connotations.
What does "going shopping" typically mean?
It refers to the act of visiting shops or stores to purchase goods.
Can "shop" be used as a verb?
Yes, "shop" can mean the act of purchasing or browsing for goods.
Is the term "store" only used for retail purposes?
No, "store" can also refer to storing items or a place where items are kept.
Do both shop and store originate from English?
Yes, both terms have origins in Old English, though their uses have evolved over time.
Is a shop always smaller than a store?
Not always, but shops often imply a smaller venue compared to stores.
Can a single business have both a shop and store?
Yes, a business might have a specialized shop and a general store, or an online shop and a physical store.
Can a "shop" be inside a "store"?
Yes, larger stores might have specialized sections or counters referred to as shops.
Can "store" be used as a verb?
Yes, "store" can mean to retain or accumulate items for future use.
How does the usage of shop and store differ in American English?
In American English, "store" is commonly used for general retail establishments, while "shop" can imply a smaller or specialized venue.
Are there other meanings to the word "store" besides retail?
Yes, "store" can also refer to a stock or supply, or a place where things are kept.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
