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

More options are available via The Seattle Times company store.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 7, 2024

Microsoft has been selling Xbox-branded clothing for years, and the company also sells a range of garments at its company store.

From The Verge • Jul. 12, 2022

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

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