supermarket

Large self-service shop selling food and household goods. The first, Piggly-Wiggly, was introduced by US retailer Clarence Saunders in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1919.

Supermarkets have a high turnover and are therefore able to buy goods in bulk. This cuts down the unit cost and, in turn, the price, which further encourages business. Cut-price supermarkets have in some places led to the closure of small local shops.