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Shop, store, or market
A shop is a small store or going shopping, a store is the general American word, and a market has many stalls.
Quick rule
Many stalls? Market. Going shopping, or a fixed name like coffee shop? Shop. Any other American store? Store.
A small store, or one that sells one kind of thing: flower shop, coffee shop. As a verb, to shop is to look for things to buy.
The usual American word for a store of any size: grocery store, clothing store, department store.
A place with many stalls from different sellers. In the US, it can also be a small supermarket.
How to choose
| Question | shop | store | market |
|---|---|---|---|
| Is it a place with many stalls from different sellers? | No | No | Yes |
| Is it the usual American word for any store, small or large? | SometimesSometimes | Yes | No |
| Can it be a verb meaning to go shopping? | Yes | No | No |
Why it trips people up
English has three words where Spanish says tienda. Shop is a small store or the verb for going shopping, store is the American word for any store, and market is a place with many stalls. British and American speakers also choose differently.
How each one works
Shop
A store for one kind of thing
There's a small flower shop on my street.
Verb: looking for things to buy
I need to shop for a birthday gift.
A one-product store
The bike shop opens at nine.
Store
Buying food at a store
The grocery store closes at ten.
What a store sells
This store sells clothes for kids.
A quick trip to buy something
My sister works at a store in the mall.
Market
A market with stalls
My mom buys fresh fruit at the street market on Sundays.
A large market
The market in Oaxaca has hundreds of stalls.
A market for one product
The fish market opens at dawn.
What comes next
shop for plus what you are looking for
She is shopping for a winter coat.
type plus shop
There's a bike shop near the park.
type plus store, or the store
The toy store is on the second floor.
at the market, with stalls
Everything is cheaper at the market on Sunday.
Set phrases
Shop
- window-shop
- to look at items in shop windows without buying
- shop around
- to look at several places before you buy
Store
- convenience store
- a small store open for long hours
- grocery store
- a store that sells food and household items
Market
- flea market
- an outdoor market that sells used things
- black market
- illegal buying and selling
Almost the same
I'm heading to the store.
A normal store, in the US.
I'm going shopping.
The activity of looking for things.
I'm going to the market.
A place with stalls.
She works in a shop.
British English, or a small store.
She works in a store.
American English, any size.
In a conversation
- A:
I'm heading to the store. Do you need anything?
- B:
Yes, milk and eggs. And could you check the flower shop? Mom's birthday is Friday.
- A:
Sure. I'll also stop at the market on Main Street. The fruit is cheaper there.
- B:
Good idea. I need to shop for a gift too.
- A:
Then let's go together and shop around.
- B:
Perfect.
Common mistakes
Wrong: He owns a store of shoes on Main Street.
Right: He owns a shoe store on Main Street.
The type comes before the word store: shoe store, not store of shoes.
Wrong: I go to shop every day after work.
Right: I go shopping every day after work.
The activity is go shopping, with -ing.
Memory trick
Think of the full name. Some are fixed with shop: coffee shop, flower shop, gift shop, bike shop. Most other American stores are a store: shoe store, grocery store, toy store. Many sellers together: market.
It depends
- Shop and store
- In the UK, shop is the usual word for a store, and store is heard for big stores or names such as department store. In the US, people say store for nearly any of them.
- Market in the US
- In the US, the corner market may be a small food store, not a market with stalls. Context makes it clear.
FAQ
Is it shop or store?
In the US, store is the usual word, and shop sounds like a small store. In the UK, shop is the usual word.
What is the difference between a store and a market?
A store is a building run by one business. A market has many stalls from different sellers.
Can shop be a verb?
Yes. To shop means to look for things to buy: I shop for shoes at the mall. Go shopping is the common form.