Meaning & use
shop fitter
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A worker or company that builds and installs the inside of shops, including counters, shelves, and displays.
Grammar: Countable: one shop fitter, two shop fitters; also used for the firm itself.
Patterns
- work as a shop fitter
- hire a shop fitter
- a shop fitter installs something
They hired a shop fitter to turn the empty unit into a bakery.
As a shop fitter, he spends most of his week building counters and shelving.
The shop fitters finished the new display area two days before opening.
Word forms
| plural | shop fitters |
|---|
Common combinations
- a shop fitter by trade
- She's a shop fitter by trade, so she knows exactly how to use the space.
- shop fitting company
- The shop fitting company quoted us three weeks for the whole job.
- hire a shop fitter
- We had to hire a shop fitter before the lease started.
- skilled shop fitter
- Good skilled shop fitters are hard to find at short notice.
Synonyms and how they differ
- joiner
- A joiner makes and fits wooden structures and is often hired for shop work, but a joiner also works on homes and furniture.
- builder
- A builder constructs or repairs buildings in general; a shop fitter specializes in the interior of retail spaces.
- contractor
- A contractor is anyone hired to do a job under contract, which is broader and says nothing about shop interiors.
Word family
Commonly confused: shop fitter or shopkeeper? shop fitter or shop floor?
shop fitter vs shopkeeper
A shopkeeper owns or runs a shop and serves customers, while a shop fitter builds the shop's interior and does not sell anything.
shop fitter vs shop floor
The shop floor is the area where goods are displayed or where factory workers stand, not the person who installs it.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'shop fitter' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A shop fitter builds and installs the inside of shops, so installing shelving and counters fits. Serving customers is a shop assistant's job, roofs are a roofer's work, and selling clothes is retail staff work.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shop fitter”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.