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retailing

American  
[ree-tey-ling] / ˈri teɪ lɪŋ /

noun

  1. the business of selling goods directly to consumers (distinguished from wholesaling).

Etymology

Origin of retailing

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; retail + -ing 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Also, the market has all but given up on housing-related retailing, and that is a mistake.

From Barron's • Apr. 9, 2026

Sales volumes in non-store retailing, which is mostly online, grew by 3.4% over the month.

From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026

Selective retailing, the unit behind Sephora, fared better, with a 7% increase in sales, while watches and jewelry logged 8% growth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026

He added that Baker isn’t the first real-estate guru to get into retailing with disastrous results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026

“Well,” Dad said, leaning back, “it's very good of you and Alice to worry, Brian, but the retailing sector is holding its own and Greenland is robust.”

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.