A retailer is a person or group that owns and/or operates a retail store or stores. The earliest retailers were those who sold their merchandise from their small store or catalog. Today's retailers run the gamut from mom-and-pop stores to department stores, specialty stores, chain stores, off-price stores, and mass-market stores. Some are large corporations with hundreds of stores worldwide and huge buying power. Retailers such as Target, Gap, Macy's, Kmart, Wal-Mart, and H&M dominate the market and have even entered the world of e-tailing. It has become harder for the small retailer to exist in such a competitive environment.
Historical Dictionary of the Fashion Industry. Francesca Sterlacci and Joanne Arbuckle.