Glossary
Retail
What Is Retail?
Retail is the sale of goods in small quantities to the end consumer, whether in store, on an e-commerce site, in an app or on a marketplace. Where wholesale sells in volume to businesses that resell, the retailer operates the last link in the distribution chain and owns the relationship with the customer directly.
In practice, a single retailer often combines several formats: stores, an online shop, click & collect and a mobile app. Customers expect the same price, the same visuals and the same product listing everywhere. Centralised in a PIM, product information is distributed to every channel, online and in store. Consistency across the journey therefore depends on product data quality: complete attributes and clear validation rules are prerequisites.