零售业 (líng shòu yè)

noun HSK 5

Traditional 零售業

líng shòu yè

retail industry · retail trade · retail sector

Meaning

零售业 refers to the retail industry or retail trade sector. It encompasses all businesses and activities involved in selling goods directly to end consumers, as opposed to wholesale (批发). This includes physical stores, online retailers, supermarkets, and any business that sells products in smaller quantities to individual customers.

Usage

This is a formal business and economic term commonly used in news reports, business discussions, and academic contexts. It's often paired with economic indicators or industry analysis. Native speakers use it when discussing economic trends, employment in the service sector, or comparing it with manufacturing (制造业) or wholesale trade (批发业).

Examples

01
随着电子商务的发展，传统零售业面临着巨大的挑战。
Suí zhe diàn zǐ shāng wù de fā zhǎn, chuán tǒng líng shòu yè miàn lín zhe jù dà de tiǎo zhàn.
With the development of e-commerce, the traditional retail industry faces huge challenges.
02
零售业是城市经济的重要组成部分，提供了大量就业机会。
Líng shòu yè shì chéng shì jīng jì de zhòng yào zǔ chéng bù fèn, tí gōng le dà liàng jiù yè jī huì.
The retail industry is an important component of the urban economy and provides many employment opportunities.

Characters

Common collocations

零售业发展
líng shòu yè fā zhǎn
retail industry development
零售业销售额
líng shòu yè xiāo shòu é
retail sales volume
传统零售业
chuán tǒng líng shòu yè
traditional retail industry
从事零售业
cóng shì líng shòu yè
to work in retail

Antonyms

批发业pī fā yèwholesale industry

Origin

零 (fragmentary/small) + 售 (sell) forms 零售 (retail), meaning to sell in small quantities to individuals. Adding 业 (industry) creates the compound meaning 'retail industry.' The term reflects selling goods piece by piece rather than in bulk.