general store

general store
a store, usually in a rural area, that sells a wide variety of merchandise, as clothing, food, or hardware, but is not divided into departments.
[1825-35, Amer.]

* * *

 retail store in a small town or rural community that carries a wide variety of goods, including groceries. In the United States the general store was the successor of the early trading post, which served the pioneers and early settlers. Located at a crossroads or in a village, it served the surrounding community and farmers from the neighbouring countryside and carried a wide variety of goods, including food, clothing, housewares, and farm equipment. Because money was scarce in many rural areas, some of the trade was accomplished through barter. The general store served as a meeting place for members of the community, of which the storekeeper was an important member not only because he supplied material goods but because he was also the source of news and gossip. Because produce from the land and forest tended to yield a seasonal return, the storekeeper also sometimes extended long-term credit of from six months to a year to his customers.

      The American general store flourished throughout the 19th century but declined rapidly in the 20th century, particularly after the 1920s. It was mostly succeeded by specialized stores, each handling a relatively narrow product range or a particular type of good.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • general store — ➔ store1 * * * general store UK US noun [C] COMMERCE ► a store that sells a wide range of products: »If there is a downturn in the rate of growth in consumer spending, the general stores will suffer more than food retailers …   Financial and business terms

  • general store — general ,store noun count AMERICAN a store that sells a wide range of products, often found in small communities …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • general store — ☆ general store n. a store where many sorts of merchandise are sold, but not in separate departments …   English World dictionary

  • general store — index market (business) Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 …   Law dictionary

  • general store — general .store n a shop that sells a wide variety of goods, especially one in a small town …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • General store — Smiths Gully General Store in Smiths Gully, Australia. A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop (UK) is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise.[1] It carries a broad selectio …   Wikipedia

  • general store — noun a retail store serving a sparsely populated region; usually stocked with a wide variety of merchandise • Syn: ↑country store, ↑trading post • Hypernyms: ↑mercantile establishment, ↑retail store, ↑sales outlet, ↑outlet * * * …   Useful english dictionary

  • general store — UK / US noun [countable] Word forms general store : singular general store plural general stores American a shop that sells a wide range of products, often found in small communities …   English dictionary

  • General Store (album) — Infobox Album | Name = General Store Type = studio Artist = Owen Temple Released = 1997 Recorded = Austin, Texas, June 1997 Genre = Country Length = 37:55 Label = El Paisano Producer = Lloyd Maines Reviews = * Austin Chronicle Rating|3|5… …   Wikipedia

  • general store — Synonyms and related words: boutique, chain store, co op, concession, cooperative, countinghouse, country store, department store, dime store, discount house, discount store, emporium, establishment, five and ten, house, magasin, mail order house …   Moby Thesaurus

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”