Retail Glossary

Welcome to the Retailpedia Retail Glossary! Here you can find terms that are commonly used in the retail community.

• A-frame - Common for 1960s supermarkets, A-frame building structures are composed of a gabled roof and ceiling tiles directly underneath, as well as a large glass facade on the front.
• Actionway (action alley, racetrack) - Wide pathways through a store, that guide customers. Actionways are typically lined with pallets, coffin coolers or displays of new, sale, or specially marketed products.
• Salesfloor - The portion of the store open to customers, where merchandise is stocked and shelved.
• Remodel - A refreshing or rebuilding of a store, consisting of a decor update and or exterior remodelling
• Decor - Refers to all the elements (signage, flooring, branding, etc) that makes up the interior details of a store. Often named using revisions (such as "Classy Market 1.0") or nicknames (such as Grocery Palace/ACME Theme Park).
• Signage swap - A cheap remodel, in which only basic signage (possibly only the sign inserts) are changed, leaving significant pieces of the old decor behind.
• Fixture - A piece of equipment or decor used in the store, examples include signage, shelving, coolers, clothes racks, and display tables.
• Gondola - A standard shelving unit, typically sold in predetermined lengths and sizes.
• Endcaps - Shelving and displays added onto the end of an aisle or set of shelves, typically displaying new products or products on sale.
• Coffin cooler - Frozen or refrigerated coolers, typically with open or slide-open tops. They are typically low to the ground, and their design resembles that of a coffin.
• Drop ceiling - A ceiling with clear tiles that can be "dropped" or removed easily for replacement or maintenance.
• Open-truss ceiling - A ceiling without any covering, where the metal trusses that make up the support are completely visible.
• Vaulted ceiling - A ceiling that peaks in the middle, and slopes downwards towards the edges.
• Department - Refers to a certain "section" of a store, such as the electronics department, jewelry department, etc.
• Box - A build out for a department within a store, typically with four walls. For example, a pharmacy department enclosed within four walls would be a "pharmacy box"
• Store-within-a-store (shop-in-shop) - Can either refer to when a separate business operates within another (such as a Sephora inside JCPenney, or a Starbucks inside Target) or to a department that is designed to appear unique from the rest of the store, as if it were a unique store.
• Grand aisle - In a grocery store, a wide-open aisle, typically along a perimeter wall and encountered soon after entering, that usually features the produce section, deli, bakery, meat, seafood, and extensive displays.
• Center store - The shelving and aisles that comprise the majority of a store, away from perimeter walls.
• Wayfinder (directory sign) - Signs, typically placed at actionway intersections, that directs the shopper to different departments within the store.
• Directory - A map of a business or mall, that labels departments or stores on a map.
• Solarium (greenhouse windows) - A separate room, typically on the front of a restaurant, that is entirely made of glass panels, typically with a curved edge along the roof. They are a trademark of some restaurants, such as Rax and early Wendy's. These can also more rarely be found on the exterior of some retail stores, typically as part of a "store-within-a-store" cafe or restaurant.
• Vestibule - The area between a store's exterior facing doors and a second set of interior doors. In many cases, this area is used to store carts.
• Gable - A vaulted element on the store's exterior.
• Facade - The front-facing exterior of a storefront.
• Hallway mall - A small mall, usually with only 1-2 anchors and a small corridor.
• Storefront - May be used to describe a store’s physical exterior, or in some cases to refer to the number of locations a store has (“ABC Mart has over 1,000 storefronts nationwide”). Storefronts are typically distinctive in design and apply both to traditional buildings and stores within indoor shopping malls.
• Paint-out - A form of cheap remodel, in which identifying decor or architectural elements are simply painted over in order to disguise them.
• Labelscar - The "scar" or outline left behind when a sign is removed, typically created due to the difference in color between the wall behind a sign, and that surrounding it, due to a combination of weathering and repainting.
• Relocation - When a store closes with a direct replacement opening shortly thereafter, in the same area. New stores are sometimes also used as an excuse to close older locations nearby, creating a de facto relocation. Many retailers carry the original store number to subsequent replacements while some assign a new number to replacement stores.
• Expansion - When a store adds additional square footage to its building, either by constructing additional space or by subsuming nearby storefronts. Typically coincides with an extensive remodel for other aspects of the store, but this is not necessary.
• Soft opening - When a store is actually opened a few days before "grand opening" celebrations, in order to acclimatize and train new employees in preparation.
• Grand opening - When a store is opened with great fanfare, in a celebration typically including public events and/or celebrity appearances.
• Anchor - A large store that draws in customers for the rest of the center
• Lifestyle center - A high end, typically open-air development, consisting of a combination of retail, restaurants, housing, and amenities such as fitness centers.
• Power center - A shopping center that consists primarily of "big-box" stores, without smaller tenants.
• Category killer - A large, hyper focused big-box store that tends to "kill" almost all competition in it's category.
• Big-box - A large, typically boxy store that will in many cases lack much distinct architecture.
• Monument sign (low-rise sign) - A shorter sign, typically supported by a full width base. These signs usually face access roads, and are put up due to local ordinances prohibiting larger signs.
• Pylon sign (high-rise sign) - A tall sign located outside a store, to advertise the store to those on nearby roads. Extremely tall pylon signs are typically placed near interstates and highways, and, due to the difficulties in reaching them for replacement, can sometimes become outdated and maintain old logos, or in the case of store closure, logos of defunct stores.
• Liquidation - A store closing sale in which everything is sold, including merchandise, fixtures, and "internal" items, such as rolls of receipt paper or bulk icing from a cake department. Often a result of Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.
• Zombie retailer - A retailer that has, at some point, completely ceased operations, and been revived. Many retailers are revived only as online stores, but some exist in physical retailers as well, such as Grand Union. Examples include Montgomery Ward, F.W. Woolworth, and Toys R Us. In many cases, retailer revivals may be announced, but never get off the ground, such as KB Toys and Circuit City.
  • Note that "zombie retailer" can also refer to retailers which have been closing locations slowly for several years, leaving the remaining locations in a "zombie-like" state, such as Kmart and Sears.
• Franchise - A business model wherein a retail chain (the “franchiser”) licenses its operation to a local businessperson (the “franchisee”). Franchises are operated locally, but with varying degrees of corporate oversight, and franchisees must remit franchise fees and other payments to the franchiser on a regular basis. Franchises are most commonly used in the fast food industry, but may also be found in any retail situation (e.g. Merle Norman or Ace Hardware stores).
• Rogue franchisee - A franchisee who breaks corporate ties, but maintains a similar business, with varying levels of familiarity. Some rogue franchisees can form new chains, such as Donut Connection (broken off of Mr. Donut), or can simply remain single locations, such as Burger 81 (broken off of Hot n' Now). Some rogue franchisees become the last remnants of their chains, due to the larger chain's collapse, such as The Chef in Cleveland, Tennessee, a rogue Burger Chef franchisee.
• Tenant - The occupant of a building.
• Backfill (retenant, relet) - To find a new tenant for a vacated space.
• Front-end - Referring to the checkouts, service counters, and in-store departments typically located at the front of stores.
• Back-end - Stockrooms, breakrooms, and employee bathrooms, located behind doors in areas not accessible to customers.
• Broken chain - A chain of stores or restaurants that has lost the majority of its locations due to various reasons. This can stem from corporate mismanagement or shifting demographics and a resulting lack of action. This term can apply to retail stores (such as Ben Franklin) and restaurants (such as Zantigo). Broken chains may have an extremely varying level of corporate oversight, and may, in some cases, have no corporate parent at all.
• Anchoritis - A "disease" or blight, typically in a mall, when all or the majority of anchor tenants have vacated. This may result in many tenants vacating, primarily on the account of decreased mall traffic and negative effects of abandonment. This is especially true for stores adjacent to the vacant anchor space(s).
• Tenant rot - When a shopping center or mall begins to see national tenants (such as The Gap or Foot Locker) replaced with local or lower end ones (such as an independent "trendy" fashion store or a vape shop), or simply vacated entirely. Can commonly arise in a specific wing of a mall that has a weak anchor, such as Sears or other low performing department store.
• Reset - The process in which retail employees clear shelving or other displays in a given aisle or department in order to present new product or fixture arrangements. This may be done when a new product line is introduced or a renovation of varying degrees is conducted.
• Cart corral - Large fixtures within parking spaces or on walkways where customers store shopping carts after use. These structures are often made of a metal frame, sometimes accompanying plastic bumpers and may feature signs or banners related to the store's branding.
• Cart tunnel - a special version of a cartwell which has openings on each end and has no lighting, giving it the appearance of a tunnel. These tunnels may have low ceilings, prohibiting through access when full.
• Cartwell - Located within a vestibule, the sales floor, or outdoors beside the store, cartwells present carts to shoppers entering the store. These setups are often arranged with carts stacked to present a wide array to the shopper, and may sometimes hold unused carts by locks.
• Mezzanine - Refers to store offices that are above the main sales floor.
• Dead mall - a mall that has been struggling based on a variety of factors. Dead malls may be riddled with vacancies, disrepair, low customer volume, or crime.
• Sublease - Spaces where retailers have closed their stores before their leases expire.
• Mercury-vapor lighting (hood lamps) - Domed lighting using mercury vapor. These have frequently been implemented in stores in previous decades, however have fallen in popularity in favor of modern LED fixtures. New installations have been outlawed in the United States since 2008, and all installations
• Hardlines - General merchandise departments such as electronics, toys, home goods, home improvement etc.
• Softlines - Clothing and accessory departments.
• Boat - An arrangement of counters/shelves serving as a service desk, typically used for electronics or customer service setups.
• Brick-and-mortar - Retailers with physical retail operations, as defined by their facades and exterior walls (sometimes made of bricks and mortar gluing together to form walls).
• Frankenmall - a mall that, instead of having been built as one cohesive structure, was created from the result of several expansions over the years, usually not very cohesive. The mall may feature a clashing of architectural styles between two sections built at different times, and may have a confusing and/or twisting layout.
• Mallway - a small mall consisting of a short, often plainly decorated hallway between two anchors.
• Mall store - a non-department (inline) store that is often found in shopping malls (Such as GNC, Hot Topic, Bath & Body Works, etc.)
• Zombie mall - a mall with high occupancy rates and is well maintained, but has low customer traffic.
• Super-regional mall - As defined by the ICSC, malls with over one million square feet of space.
• Previously-Owned Building (POB) - A status named for previous retail tenants which have left a building, it is applied to a succeeding tenant which retain exteriors, floorplans, or decor packages from the previous tenant.
• "Chasing rooftops" - a phrase used to refer to expansion of retail chains or shopping center planning based on the growth of suburbs.
• Perishables - Refers to food and beverages in grocery stores which are often refrigerated and prone to spoiling if not properly maintained or cycled. This category includes produce, meats, bakery, frozen foods and dairy, and many layouts contain these goods on the perimeter of the store.
• Non-perishables - Grocery store items which do not require refrigeration. These are often located at center store.

Fan terms

• Food Dixie - a Winn-Dixie converted into a Food Lion.
• Harris Kroger - a Harris Teeter converted into a Kroger. (coined by BatteryMill)
• Kroger Teeter - a Kroger converted into a Harris Teeter. (coined by BatteryMill)
• Krogersons - a Albertsons converted into a Kroger.
• Pub-Dixie - a Winn-Dixie converted into a Publix. (coined by the Albertsons Florida Blog)
• Pub Lion - a Food Lion converted into a Publix. (coined by the Albertsons Florida Blog)
• Publixsons - an Albertsons converted into a Publix. (coined by the Albertsons Florida Blog)
• Safelixsons - an Albertsons rebranded to Safeway and later converted into a Publix. (coined by the Albertsons Florida Blog)
• The Cycle - a Grand Union store converted to Tops, back to Grand Union, and back to Tops. (coined by Retail Regents)
• Weis Lion - a Food Lion converted into a Weis Markets store. (coined by BatteryMill)
• Walget - a Target converted into a Walmart. (Coined by DZ Retail)
• McBox - to simplify a restaurant design to a minimalist, cubic design, a trend common since the 2000s decade. The term is derived from McDonald's stores with gray facades, and applied to other fast food/restaurant chains which have ditched dynamically-shaped architectural elements.
• Eyebrow (McDonald's) - a nickname for McDonald's "Forever Young" restaurant design, derived from the eyebrow-shaped element perched above the main facade and windows. Occasionally, the "eyebrow" may form the roof of the restaurant.
• Beacha Hut - a nickname for older Hollister stores, derived from the store fronts looking like a beachside surf shack. The name is kind of parody on Pizza Hut. (coined by BigSpinCoaster)

References

Definitions provided by Retail Regents, Retail Retell, and BatteryMill, with some taken with permission from the Retail Glossary on DZ's Retail Blog.