Key Difference – Departmental Store vs Supermarket
Departmental stores and supermarkets are two large retail shops that offer customers a wide range of choice. However, departmental stores and supermarkets are not the same. The key difference between departmental store and supermarket lies in the type of products they stock; departmental stores stock a variety of products including clothing, jewelry, accessories, cosmetics, toy, stationery, etc. whereas supermarkets stock food items and other household items.
What is a Departmental Store?
A departmental store or department store is a large store that stocks many varieties of goods in different departments. This is a retail establishment offering a large number of consumer goods belonging to different product categories. The store may have many stores to accommodate all these different types of products. Departmental stores may sell clothing, jewelry and accessories, home appliances, cosmetics, toiletries, toys, paints, hardware, DIY (do it yourself), sporting goods, electronics, stationery, etc. All these goods are categorized into different sections and can be found in different departments of the same shop.
The basic concept of departmental stores is allowing the customer to buy all his requirements under one roof. The concept of departmental stores grew in the 19th century after the industrial revolution. Harding, Howell & Co, 1796 on Pall Mall, London was one of the first-ever departmental stores. Galeries Lafayett (Paris), Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele (Milano), Le Bon Marche (Paris), Selfridges (London), Harrod’s (London), Isetan (Tokyo) are some of the most popular departmental stores in the world.
What is a Supermarket?
A supermarket is a large self-service retail market that sells food and household goods. It can be described as a large form of a grocery store; supermarkets also have a wider selection than traditional grocery stores. The goods are organized into aisles and the customers can walk through these aisles and select the items they want.
These aisles typically contain fresh produce, dairy, meat, baked goods, canned and packaged food and various non-food items such as toiletries, household cleaners, kitchen items, pet supplies and pharmacy products.
Supermarkets typically contain a large amount of floor space, usually on a single story. They are also located close to residential areas or busy urban areas in order to be convenient to the customers. Most supermarkets have long shopping hours whereas some are open 24 hours.
Supermarkets are usually a part of corporate chains that own other stores in many places. Wal-mart, Tesco, Costco Wholesale, Kroger, and Carrefour are some examples of popular supermarkets over the world.
The combination of a departmental store and supermarket is known as a hypermarket.
What is the difference between Departmental Store and Supermarket?
Definition:
Departmental Store: A department store is a large retail store offering a variety of merchandise and services and organized in separate departments.
Supermarket: Supermarket is a large self-service retail market that sells food and household goods.
Size:
Departmental Store: Departmental stores are larger than supermarkets.
Supermarket: Although supermarkets are large stores, they are typically smaller than departmental stores.
Floors:
Departmental Store: Departmental stores have many floors.
Supermarket: Supermarkets usually have only one floor.
Products:
Departmental Store: Departmental stores stock a variety of products.
Supermarket: Supermarkets do not usually stock clothing, jewelry, and hardware.
Fresh Products:
Departmental Store: Departmental stores do not usually stock fresh produce or meat.
Supermarket: Supermarkets stock fresh produce, dairy, and meat.
Ownership:
Departmental Store: Departmental stores are not typically owned by corporate chains.
Supermarket: Supermarkets are owned by corporate chains.
Image Courtesy:
“T&T Supermarket” By The original uploader was Steven chow at English Wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
“1778719” (Public Domain) via Pixabay