Meaning & use
online retailer
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A business that sells goods or services to customers over the internet.
Grammar: Countable: use a/an or a plural: an online retailer, many online retailers.
Patterns
- an online retailer sells something
- buy from an online retailer
- a major online retailer
Amazon is one of the world's largest online retailers.
She bought the shoes from an online retailer based in Germany.
Many traditional shops have become online retailers to reach more customers.
Word forms
| plural | online retailers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a major online retailer
- A major online retailer announced free shipping for all orders.
- buy from an online retailer
- It is often cheaper to buy from an online retailer than from a local shop.
- online retail
- Online retail has grown rapidly in the last decade.
Synonyms and how they differ
- e-tailer
- E-tailer is informal and less common; online retailer is the standard term for a business selling on the internet.
- e-commerce company
- E-commerce company is broader and can include platforms and services; online retailer focuses on selling goods to customers.
Opposites
Word family
- online retail noun
- The activity of selling goods over the internet.
- retailer noun
- A business or person that sells goods to the public.
Commonly confused: online retailer or online market?
online retailer vs online market
An online market is a place where many sellers offer goods; an online retailer is a single business that sells directly.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'online retailer' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Online retailer' is a countable noun and needs an article: an online retailer. Option 2 is correct because it has 'the'. Option 2 is wrong because it needs 'an' before 'online retailer'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “online retailer”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.