category killer

American  

[kat-i-gawr-ee kil-er] / ˈkæt ɪ gɔr i ˌkɪl ər /

noun

1. a store, company, product, etc., that dominates a merchandise or service category and has almost no competition.

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category killer British  

noun

1. a person, product, or business that dominates a particular market

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Etymology

Origin of category killer

First recorded in 1975–80

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

category killer

Once considered a so-called "category killer" in home and bath goods, the big box retailer's fortunes have dragged after attempts to sell more store-branded products flopped and led to the reshuffle of its management team.

From Reuters ● Nov. 2, 2022

Shares of the company, once considered a so-called "category killer" in home and bath goods, were down about 5% in premarket trading after the company filed to offer $150 million of common stock.

From Reuters ● Oct. 28, 2022

Still, this bet supposes that Uber is a category killer and that only the biggest, fastest growing company will survive.

From New York Times ● Dec. 16, 2014

But Best Buy's competition is far broader than Circuit City, from direct sellers like Amazon and Dell to the quintessential category killer, Wal-Mart, which analysts estimate sold $17 billion in electronics in 2004.

From Time Magazine Archive

Initially derided as the brunt of jokes, the forecast focused channel became profitable within four years and soon had established itself as a media category killer.

From Time Magazine Archive