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Shopping Vocabulary: Essential Words and Phrases
This lesson covers common shopping vocabulary used in stores and online. You'll learn nouns, verbs and expressions that help with purchases, returns, payments and stock status — useful for both everyday shopping and business expenses.
Understand key terms: receipt, refund, discount, stock, checkout.
Learn verbs and collocations: place an order, make a return, pay by card.
Apply vocabulary in business contexts: expense reports, bulk orders, warranty claims.
Table
Shopping Vocabulary Reference
Word
Part of Speech
Example
receipt
noun
Please keep your receipt for expense reports.
refund
noun / verb
The company issued a full refund for the defective unit.
discount
noun
We received a 10% discount on our bulk order.
checkout
noun
Proceed to the checkout to complete your purchase.
cashier
noun
The cashier will scan your items at the register.
out of stock
expression
The item is out of stock online but available in-store.
place an order
verb phrase
You can place an order through our B2B portal.
warranty
noun
The product comes with a two-year warranty.
Tip
Key Tips for Using Shopping Vocabulary
Focus on collocations, countable/uncountable nouns, and typical business phrases:
Use articles correctly: 'a receipt' (one), 'the receipt' (specific).
Match verbs and nouns: 'make a return' or 'request a refund'.
Payment prepositions: 'pay by card' or 'pay with a credit card'.
Stock phrases: 'in stock' vs 'out of stock' (status), 'restock' (verb).
Learn common collocations (place an order, bulk order, check out) for fluent speech.
Example
Examples in context
Please keep your receipt for expense reports.
The client requested a refund for the defective goods.
We placed a bulk order to benefit from the supplier discount.
The item is out of stock online but available at our downtown store.
Tip
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for universal errors learners often make when using shopping vocabulary:
Confusing countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., 'two informations' → incorrect).
Misusing articles with items and services (omit 'a' with singular countables).
Using 'less' with countable items instead of 'fewer'.
Incorrect prepositions with payment verbs (remember 'pay by' or 'pay with').
Mixing up similar verbs: 'return' (verb) vs 'refund' (noun/verb) — check collocations.
Focus on word forms and collocations to avoid these errors.
Choose the correct meaning of 'receipt':
Hint: Think about the document you keep to show you paid for an item.
A) A formal complaint
B) A proof of purchase
C) A delivery date
D) A product warranty
Correct!
A receipt is a document or slip that proves you bought something.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: B) A proof of purchase
A receipt is a document or slip that proves you bought something.
Complete: The laptop is _____ online but available in the warehouse.
Hint: Think about the phrase used to say an item is not currently available.
Check
Correct!
'Out of stock' indicates the item is temporarily unavailable for purchase online.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: out of stock
'Out of stock' indicates the item is temporarily unavailable for purchase online.
Which phrase means 'to buy a large quantity at once'?
Hint: Focus on the phrase that includes 'bulk', which implies large quantity.
A) make a return
B) place a bulk order
C) browse the aisles
D) scan the barcode
Correct!
'Place a bulk order' refers to ordering a large quantity, often at a discounted rate.
Incorrect
The correct answer was: B) place a bulk order
'Place a bulk order' refers to ordering a large quantity, often at a discounted rate.