company store

American  

noun

1. a retail store operated by a company for the convenience of the employees, who are required to buy from the store.

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Etymology

Origin of company store

An Americanism dating back to 1870–75

Example Sentences

Miners were paid in scrip, the company’s version of money that could only be used at the company store or in the businesses nearby that honored it.

From Salon • Oct. 28, 2025

The local heritage club erected a miners memorial in front of the old company store along Pennsylvania Avenue a quarter-century ago.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 31, 2023

It said the county’s contract with Fulgent prohibits the disclosure of data collected without the county’s written permission and requires that the company store and process data in the continental United States.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 24, 2022

Ikea HQ is exactly what you might expect: a company store modified to function as the main office for 5,400 employees.

From The Verge • Dec. 18, 2019

A popular song across the country in the late 1950’s was Tennessee Ernie Ford’s “Sixteen Tons,” where he sang about a miner owing his soul to the company store.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam