Meaning & use
trade counters
Last updated
Meanings
nounpluralBritishbusiness
A sales point, often part of a larger store or warehouse, where people in a trade can buy supplies at special prices.
Grammar: Always plural in this form; the singular is 'trade counter'. Takes a plural verb: 'The trade counters are open.'
Patterns
- trade counters for builders
- open a trade counter
- buy something at a trade counter
The builders' merchant has three trade counters across the city.
Electricians can pick up cable and fittings at the trade counters on the industrial estate.
She works at one of the trade counters, serving plumbers and heating engineers all day.
nounpluralBritishbusiness
The counters or desks in a shop or business that are reserved for customers who work in a particular trade.
Grammar: Refers to the physical desks themselves; often used with 'at' or 'behind'.
Patterns
- behind the trade counters
- at the trade counters
- staff the trade counters
There was a long queue behind the trade counters this morning.
New signs were put up at the trade counters to show the discounted prices.
He spent ten years working behind the trade counters before becoming a manager.
Word forms
| singular | trade counter |
|---|
Common combinations
- open a trade counter
- The company plans to open a trade counter in the north of England next year.
- trade counter prices
- Trade counter prices are lower than the standard retail prices.
- at the trade counter
- You can collect your order at the trade counter from 7 a.m.
- trade counter staff
- Trade counter staff need to know the products well.
- trade counter hours
- Trade counter hours are 7:30 to 5:00 on weekdays.
- builders' trade counter
- The builders' trade counter sells bricks, cement, and timber.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trade desk
- Used more in American English for a similar service point in a business.
- will-call counter
- American term for a place where ordered goods are collected, not necessarily for trade customers only.
- wholesale counter
- Focuses on selling in large quantities, often to retailers rather than to tradespeople.
Word family
Commonly confused: trade counters or trade winds?
trade counters vs trade winds
Trade winds are steady winds near the equator, not shops or desks.
Practice
Where can I buy cement at a discount? — Try the ______ on the industrial estate; they sell to builders.
Choose one answer.
'Trade counters' are sales points for people in a trade, so they fit buying cement at a discount. 'Trade winds' are weather patterns, 'trading stamps' are old-fashioned vouchers, and 'trade unions' are workers' organizations, none of which sell building materials.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trade counters”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.