Shopping Vocabulary

Topic vocabulary for the IELTS exam

* Important
Do not try and learn this list of shopping vocabulary.
Identify the vocabulary you find useful for answering practise
questions about shopping.
Record these in your vocabulary notebook and practise using
them regularly.

Set 1: Going shopping

to go shopping – to go to the shops to buy things
- I won’t be home until 6pm tonight because I’m going shopping after work.
to do the shopping – the activity of buying items from shops
- I hate doing the shopping as it’s always so crowded in the supermarket.
goods – things that are sold
- Department stores have a wide range of goods on sale.
window shopping – the activity of looking at goods for sale, especially in shop window
displays, without the intention of buying anything
- One of my favourite activities on a Saturday is to go window shopping with my friends to
see the latest fashions.
bargain hunting – looking for products that are good value for money, usually because they
are on sale at a lower price than normal
- I love bargain hunting and feel great when I find something I need at a knock-down price.
shop around – compare prices before buying something
- I always shop around before buying high value items as prices can vary considerably.
browse – looking at things in one or more shops without a firm intention to buy anything
- When I go into town, I often browse around the clothes shops to see if I can pick up any
bargains.
retail therapy – the practise of buying things in order to make yourself feel better when you
are unhappy
- I need some retail therapy to help me get over the disappointment of not getting a
promotion at work.
to go on a shopping spree – a short period of time in which someone buys a lot of things
- I’ll have to go on a shopping spree before my holiday next month as I’ve lost so much
weight that my beachwear doesn’t fit me anymore.
hit the shops / stores – to go on a shopping spree
- I’m taking a bus into the city with some friends on Saturday and we’re going to hit the
shops.
an impulse buy – an unplanned purchase when something is bought suddenly without
careful thought
- My waterproof jacket was an impulse buy as I was actually looking for some new walking
boots, but it was such a bargain that I just had to get it.

www.ieltsjacky.com
a shopaholic – someone who loves shopping and does it often, sometimes to the point of it
being an addiction
- My friend Sally is a true shopaholic but I do worry about her as she can’t really afford all
the designer clothes she buys.
to try on – to put on an item of clothing to see if it fits or looks good
- Can I try on these two dresses please as I’m not sure which size will fit me best?
take something back – return an unwanted item to a shop
- I’m going to have to take this jacket back to the shop as the colour doesn’t match my skirt.
to return an item - to take or send something back to the retail outlet it was purchased
from
- I’ll have to return the jumper I bought online as they sent the wrong size.
exchange – change an item that has been purchased for a different one
- The shirt I bought my dad for his birthday is too large so I’m going to exchange it for a
smaller one.
for sale – available to buy
- I was really impressed by the quality of goods for sale in the new furniture shop in town.
shopping list – a list of the things you want to buy when you go shopping
- I always take a shopping list when I go to the supermarket so that I don’t forget anything.
customer service – any activity designed to increase the level of customer satisfaction,
such as help them find finding the right product and guidance about its use
- I was really impressed with the customer service at the computer shop as a sales
assistant helped me to choose the best laptop for my needs rather than trying to sell me a
more expensive one.
to give someone the hard sell – try to sell someone something in a forceful way
- When I said I needed to go away and think about it before buying the car, the salesman
tried the hard sell on me.
shoplifting - take goods from a shop without paying for them
- My cousin was caught shoplifting again and might be sent to prison this time.
shop online / internet shopping – to buy things over the internet
- It’s really popular to do your grocery shopping online these days and have it delivered to
your house.
- The increase in internet shopping is leading to many local shops closing down
to order – to request a product over the internet or from a shop when the required item is
not in stock
- I must remember to go online and order the computer game my brother wants for his
birthday or it won’t arrive in time.

Set 2: People
shopper – a person who is shopping
- It was the start of the summer sales and the high street was packed with shoppers.
customer – a person who buys goods or services from a shop or business
- I like to do my shopping early in the morning before the shops get busy with customers.

www.ieltsjacky.com
retailer – a business or person that sells goods to individual customers, as opposed to a
wholesaler or supplier, who normally sell their goods to another business
- Although supermarkets are primarily food retailers, they also sell many other things such
as electrical goods and clothing.
bargain hunter – someone who is looking for goods that are very good value for money,
usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal
- My sister is a keen dedicated bargain hunter and rarely pays full price for anything.
shop assistant / sales assistant – a person who serves customers in a shop
- These days, shop assistants are often too busy chatting to one another to help their
customers.
cashier - the person who takes the money in a shop
- The cashiers were all busy and I had to join a queue to pay for my groceries.
market trader / market vendor – a person who runs a stall at a market
- I was late getting into town and many of the market traders were already packing away
their stalls.
store detective – a person employed by a store to detect and prevent theft from the store
by shoplifters.
- The store detective stopped the man as he was leaving the store and discovered a stolen
bottle of wine in his coat pocket.

Set 3: Types of shop

shop / store / retail outlet – a place where customers can buy goods
- My favourite shop / store / retail outlet to visit when I’m in London is Harrods.
chain store – a group of shops that belong to one company
- These days, most towns in the UK are full of chain stores and there are very few
independent retailers left.
independent stores – shops not owned by large companies
- When I want to buy a special outfit for a wedding, I shop in an independent store so that I
can be sure that no one else will be wearing the same thing.
department store – a large shop that sells different types of items in different areas or
departments of the store
- The department store in our town sells everything from clothes and shoes to bedding,
kitchenware and cosmetics.
convenience store – a small local shop that is open for long hours and sells a limited
range of everyday food and other goods
- If we run out of bread or milk, I send one of the kids down to the convenience store at the
end of the road to buy some.
supermarket – a large shop that sells mainly food and household items
- I buy most of our food at the supermarket, although I do like to go to the local butcher for
meat.

www.ieltsjacky.com
discount store – a shop that sells goods at less than the normal retail price
- Having a motor parts discount store near my home means that I can keep my car on the
road quite cheaply.
grocery – shop that sells groceries (the collective term for items of food sold in a grocery or
supermarket)
- I hope that our local grocery store doesn’t close down now that a big supermarket has
been build near town.
greengrocer – person or shop that sells fresh fruit and vegetables
- When I was young I was always given a free apple when I went to the greengrocer with
my mum.
butcher – person or shop that sells fresh meat
- My butcher makes the best sausages in the area.
bakery – shop that sells fresh bread and cakes
- Fresh bread from a bakery always tastes much better than bread bought from a
supermarket.
fishmonger – person or shop that sells fresh fish
- Our fishmonger buys his fish straight off the local fishing boats so it’s very fresh.
farm shop – a shop which sells produce from a farm directly to the public
- Buying from a farm shop helps to support the local economy and guarantees the produce
is fresh.
pharmacy – shop that sells medicines
- They were very helpful at the pharmacy and recommended some cough mixture that has
calmed my chesty cough.
chemist (UK) / drugstore (US) – sells medicines and toiletries
- I was glad that mum asked me to pick her tablets from the chemist as they had an offer on
razor blades and I needed some new ones.
newsagents – shop that sells newspapers and magazines
- Harry stopped off at the newsagents on his way to the train station each weekday
morning to buy his daily paper.
pet shop – shop that sells food and other items for dogs, cats and other pets and
sometimes small pets as well
- My dog loves visiting the pet shop with me as he knows that I’ll buy him a dog chew.
bookshop – shop that sells books
I buy lots of Christmas and birthday present from bookshops as all my family are keen
readers.
DIY store – shop that sells things for home improvement
- Dad has promised me some shelves in my room so we’re off to the DIY store at the
weekend to buy some planks of wood and screws.
hardware shop / ironmonger – shop that sells goods such as nails, screws and hand
tools.
- I love browsing in hardware stores as they sell so many interesting bits and pieces.
delicatessen (deli) – shop that specialises in cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual or
foreign prepared foods
- My special treat is a venison and mushroom pie from our local deli.

www.ieltsjacky.com
market – a place where people sell produce and good on small stalls
- I buy all my fruit and vegetables at the market because they are fresher than in the
supermarket.
flea market – a group of stalls selling old furniture or clothes
- The flea market in Portobello Road, London, started in the 1800s and is still popular with
both locals and tourists.
shopping mall – a large enclosed shopping area from which traffic is excluded
- The first time I visited a shopping mall I was so excited to see so many big brand name
shops all in one place.
shopping centre – a large building or a group of buildings containing lots of different stores,
often build away from town centres
- One of the reasons why people like out-of-town shopping centres is that you get free
parking.

Set 4: Buying things

to buy / to purchase – to acquire something by paying for it
- Juan bought himself a new suit for his job interview.
- Kari couldn’t decide whether to buy the red or the blue pair of shoes so she purchased
both of them.
gift voucher – a card that you buy at a shop to give as a gift, which entitles the person to
exchange it for goods worth the same amount
- I often give my nieces and nephews gift vouchers for their birthdays so that they can buy
what they want.
discount voucher – a ticket or piece of paper, often with a code on it, that gives money off
the purchase price
- When I bought my new TV, I got a discount voucher for 20% off my next purchase from
the shop.
coupon – a voucher, often printed in a newspaper or magazine, that can be used to get
something without paying for it, or at a reduced price
- There’s a coupon in our local newspaper this week for a free cupcake from the new
bakery in town.
store card – a plastic card that can be used to buy goods in a particular store that you pay
for at a later time
- My Macy’s store card saves me lots of money as I get 10% off everything I buy with it.
loyalty card – a card issued by a shop that enables customers to save money on the basis
of how much they spend
- I have 9 points on my bookshop loyalty card and next time I buy a book I’ll get a second
one for free.
debit card – a plastic card used to pay for items that takes the money directly from your
bank account
- My debit card is now contactless so I don’t even need to enter my PIN number for small
purchases.
credit card – a plastic card that you use to buy goods or services and pay for them later
- I’m careful as to how I use my credit card as it is very easy to overspend with one.

www.ieltsjacky.com
cash – money in the form of notes and coins
- I hardly ever use cash these days as I do most of my shopping online.
receipt – a piece of paper showing the amount of money you have paid for something used
as proof of purchase
- I always keep the receipt when I buy something in case I have to return it.
refund – money given back to a customer when they return a product they are not happy
with
- I took the faulty clock back to the shop and asked for a refund.

Set 5: Prices and cost

price - the amount of money you have to pay for something
- I was delighted when I looked at the price of the pretty blue dress and found that it was
less than I had expected.
price tag – a label that states the price of an item
- When I see an item of clothing I like, I check the price tag first to see if I can afford it.
discount – a reduction in the price of something
- If I’m buying lots of items from a shop, I always ask for a discount.
a sale – a period during which a shop sells goods at reduced prices
- I need a new vacuum cleaner but I’m waiting until the January sales to save money.
on sale / on offer - for sale at a reduced price
- Umbrellas are on sale at the moment so I’m going to buy one ready for the rainy season.
to pick up a bargain / to snap up a bargain – to buy something cheaply
- She picked up some great bargains in the sale.
knock-down price – extremely cheap or costing much less than the usual amount
- Now that spring is here, they’re selling off winter coats at a knock-down price.
to slash prices - to reduce prices a great deal
- Mr Patel is closing down his clothes shop and has slashed prices to sell off his stock.
expensive – costing a lot of money
- Stefan bought his girlfriend an expensive necklace for her birthday.
inexpensive / cheap – something that does not cost a lot of money
- Hyun-Gi looked in the sales for an inexpensive watch to wear for work.
- Wan-Soo said he’d seen some nice watches going cheap in the market.
to be value for money – to be worth the cost
- My new laptop was quite expensive but has all the latest features so I think it was good
value for money.
over-priced – to cost more than you think it is worth
- The sunglasses made me look really cool but they were over-priced so I didn’t buy them.
to save up – to put money aside for something until the required amount is reached
- Khalil was saving up to buy a new bicycle.
haggle – to negotiate the cost of an item
- I had to really haggle with the car salesman to get the price I wanted.

www.ieltsjacky.com
Set 6: In a shop
checkout – the place where payment is made for goods, especially in a supermarket
- The girl on the checkout was very friendly and chatted as she took the payment for my
groceries.
queue – a line of people waiting
- The supermarket was really busy and I had to queue for ages at the checkout.
shelves – the place where they put the products in a shop, especially in a supermarket
- With Christmas only a few weeks away, the shelves were stacked with festive food.
trolley – a large container with wheels that you use to put products in, especially in a
supermarket
- It’s important to pack your trolley carefully so that your fruit and eggs don’t get squashed
under heavy items.
changing room / fitting room – place in a shop where you can try clothes on before buying
them
- Belita wasn’t sure which size blouse would fit her best so she took a small and a medium
into the changing room to try on.
opening hours – the times when a shop is open for business
- In recent years, many shops have extended their opening hours to stay open later and
catch customers leaving work.

Set 7: Other vocabulary

brand – a unique design, symbol or words, or a combination of these, used to create an
image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors
- When I buy new fitness trainers, I always choose a well-known brand like Nike so that I
can be sure of the quality.
big brand names – large, well-known companies or product names
- Shoppers generally look for big brand names as their products usually have a good
reputation.
brand-name goods – products made by a well-known company
- Teenagers are a huge market for brand-name goods as having the same brand as the
cool kids makes them feel cool too.
high street names – well-known shops
- If you visit any town in the UK, you will see all the familiar high street names such as
Boots, Marks & Spence and W.H. Smith.
a luxury – something expensive that you do not need but you buy for pleasure or comfort
- One day I’m going to treat myself to a luxury car but while the kids are young, a station
wagon is far more suited to our family needs.
status symbol – a product that people want to have because they think other people will
admire them for owning it
- Designer clothes are an important status symbol among young people.
second-hand – something that is for sale but has been used before
- I often browse the second-hand clothes shops to see if they’ve got anything worth having
in my size.

www.ieltsjacky.com
fake – imitation or counterfeit
- The sale of fake designer clothes and perfumes is illegal but can make dealers a lot of
money.
genuine – what it is meant to be, not fake
- The leather jackets were so cheap that Marlon doubted that they were genuine.
throwaway society – the idea that we have become a society that consumes a lot of stuff
and readily throws it away, replacing it with new goods
- Whilst the transition to throwaway societies is good for economic growth, it’s leading to a
huge waste problem.

Set 8: Idioms
the real McCoy – genuine, not fake
- I was worried that the gold bracelet I bought in the market wasn’t made of real gold but I
showed it my uncle who’s a jeweller and he said it’s the real McCoy.
going for a song – on sale for a very low price
- I was glad I went to the end of season sale at the garden centre as many of the plants
were going for a song.
to shop until you drop – to continue shopping until you are exhausted; to shop intensively
over a short period of time
- I’m meeting my best friend in town on Friday afternoon and we’re going to shop until we
drop.

For IELTS-style practise questions

For IELTS-style shopping-related practise questions and sample

answers visit:

www.ieltsjacky.com/shopping-vocabulary.html

www.ieltsjacky.com