IELTS Shopping Vocabulary – Words, Phrases & Questions – IELTS Jacky (2024)

Part 1

1) How doyou feel about shopping?

I love goingshopping, especially bargainhunting in the sales.Every few months I go into the city on a shoppingspree with my friends.

2) What typesof shops do you use regularly?

I go tothe supermarket once a week for my groceries,although I buy all my meat from the local butcher. When I go intotown, I always have a browse around the department stores.

3) What changeshave you seen in those shops in the past few years?

I’venoticed that the supermarket seems to sell a wider range of goodsand services every year. They now even have their own pharmacy. Ithink that the main difference in the department store in animprovement in their customer service.

4) Do youlike shopping on the internet?

Yes, I do enjoy shopping online. You have so much choice on theinternet and it’s easy to shop around.Also, you can purchase thingsimmediately and they are often delivered the next day. It’s much quicker than waitinguntil you have time to go into town.

5)What kinds of things do you buy online?

Ipurchase books, electricalgoods, gifts, stationery and, in fact, most everyday productson the internet. It’sreally only clothes and shoes that I always buy on the high street as I like to try them on first.

Part 2

I particularly like browsing shops that sell outdoor wear,things like waterproof jackets, walking boots, hiking trousers and rucksacks. Thereare several in my home town but my favourite is called No Sweat. It’s an independentstore and they stock all the bigbrand names in outdoor gear. Their goodsare expensive but topquality

One reason I enjoy shopping there is their excellentcustomer service. The sales assistants are veryhelpful and do their best to advise you on the best products for your needs.They never try and give you the hardsell and will recommend a different brand that they don’t sell if they think it would suit youbetter.

They are extremely knowledgeable aboutoutdoor gear, which is more than can be said of the shop assistants in similar stores in town. The other retail outlets are chainstores and they don’t give you the same personal service or feeling ofconfidence that they really know what they’re talking about.

I can’t say that I go to No Sweat very often but I always pop in fora spot of bargain hunting ifthey have a sale on or if Ineed something in particular. I try to avoid the shop otherwise as it’s just too tempting to spend money Ican’t really afford. If I want something like an expensive new jacket, I generally save up for it.

The last time I went there was to buy a new pair of walking boots.By chance, they had an offer ona fabulous lightweight waterproof jacket in my favourite colour. It was at areal knock-down price so I justhad to buy that as well. Ialso bought a couple oft-shirts that were reduced.It all added up to quite a lot of money but they gave me a free pair of walkingsocks and some stuff to clean my new boots. They usually give you free productsif you make a large purchase.It makes you feel valued as a customer.

I think that’s why the shop has beenso successful when most independent storesare struggling to compete with the big highstreet names. It’s because of the way they value their customers and give good value for money.

Part 3

1) Do you agree or disagree that women spend more time shoppingthan men?

I would definitely say that women goshopping more often than men and also spend longer looking for whatthey want. For a start, it is usually women who buy the grocerieseach week and also clothes for the children if they have a family. Many women Iknow purchase most of their husband’s clothes as well becausetheir men hate shopping.

I think this is less the case withyounger men as they are more fashion conscious and happy to hit the shopsthemselves. Brand named clothes are a status symbolwith the younger generation as they like to dress to impress. Men more readilypay for expensive items, especially the latest electronicgadgets, and aren’t too bothered about discounts.

For women, shoppingis often a social activity done with friends. It’s common to go windowshopping and my sister’s idea of a fun morning is browsingthe second-hand shops in town. You never see men doing either ofthese things.

2) Do people generally prefer to buyproducts from their own or from other countries?

I think it varies very much from person to person. On theone hand, there’s an increasing number of people who choose to buy their meat and vegetables fromfarm shops rather than supermarkets. This is partly tosupport the local economy but also because they are concerned that transportingproduce around the world is contributing to global warming.

Unfortunately, supermarketproducts are often cheaper despite having travelled many miles to the shops. For example, I live inthe countryside and can see sheep out of my window and yet it’s cheaper to buylamb from New Zealand, 11,000 miles away, than it is to purchase local lamb.

So, on the other hand, you have people on a low budget who areforced to buy cheaper supermarket imports even if theydon’t want to.

With most goodsother than food, there’s often little choice but to buy foreign imports as mostthings in the shops come from abroad.

3) Why do you think some people purchase things that they donot need?

In my opinion, unnecessary purchasesare made for several reasons. Firstly, many people, especially the youngergeneration, like to have the latest gadgets and fashions so they quicklydiscard old stuff. We have become a real throwaway society. Also,they want to have the same products as their friends whether they need them ornot.

Secondly, these days we tend tohave more sparecash to buy luxuries that ourparents would not have been able to afford at our age.

Finally, I think that aggressiveadvertising convinces people that they need things that they don’t and, ofcourse, the internet encourages impulse buying as shoppingonline is so quick and easy.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 1: Going Shopping

to go shopping– to go to the shops to buy things

- I won’t be home until 6pm tonight because I’m going shopping after work.

to do the shopping– the activity of buying items from shops

- I hate doing theshopping as it’s always so crowded in the supermarket.

goods– things that are sold

- Department stores have a wide range of goods on sale.

window shopping– the activity of looking at goods for sale, especially in shop windowdisplays, without the intention of buying anything

- One of my favourite activities on a Saturday is to go window shopping with my friends to seethe latest fashions.

bargain hunting– looking for products that are good value for money, usually becausethey are on sale at a lower price than normal

- I love bargain hunting and feel great when Ifind something I need at a knock-down price.

shop around– compare prices before buying something

- I always shoparound before buying high value items as prices can vary considerably.

browse– looking at things in one or more shops without a firm intention to buyanything

- When I go into town, I often browse around the clothes shops to see if I can pick up anybargains.

retail therapy– the practise of buying things in order to make yourself feel better when youare unhappy

- I need some retailtherapy to help me get over the disappointment of not getting a promotionat work.

to go on a shopping spree– a short period of time in which someone buys a lot of things

- I’ll have to go on a shopping spree before my holiday next month as I’ve lost somuch weight that my beachwear doesn’t fit me anymore.

hitthe shops / stores– to go on a shopping spree

- I’m taking a bus into the citywith some friends on Saturday and we’re going to hit the shops.

an impulse buy –an unplanned purchase when something is bought suddenly without careful thought

- Mywaterproof jacket was an impulse buyas I was actually looking for some new walking boots, but it was such a bargainthat I just had to get it.

a shopaholic– someone who loves shopping and does it often, sometimes to the point of itbeing an addiction

- My friend Sally is a true shopaholic but I do worry about her as she can’t really afford allthe designer clothes she buys.

to try on– to put on an item of clothing to see if it fits or looks good

- Can Itry onthese two dresses please as I’m not sure which size will fit me best?

take something back– return an unwanted item to a shop

- I’m going to have totakethis jacketbackto the shop as the colour doesn’t match my skirt.

to return an item- to take or send something back to the retail outlet it was purchased from

- I’ll have toreturnthe jumper I bought online as they sent the wrong size.

exchange– change an item that has been purchased for a different one

- The shirt I bought my dad for his birthday is too large so I’m going toexchangeit for a smaller one.

for sale– available to buy

- I was really impressed by the quality of goodsfor salein the new furniture shop in town.

shopping list– a list of the things you want to buy when you go shopping

- I always take ashopping listwhen I go to the supermarket so that I don’t forget anything.

customer service– any activity designed to increase the level ofcustomersatisfaction, such as help them find finding the right product and guidance about its use

- I was really impressed with thecustomer serviceat the computer shop as a sales assistant helped me to choose the best laptop for my needs rather than trying to sell me a more expensive one.

to give someone the hard sell– try to sell someone something in a forceful way

- When I said I needed to go away and think about it before buying the car, the salesmantried the hard sellon me.

shoplifting- take goods from a shop without paying for them

- My cousin was caughtshopliftingagain and might be sent to prison this time.

shop online / internet shopping– to buy things over the internet

- It’s really popular to do your groceryshopping onlinethese days and have it delivered to your house.

- The increase ininternet shoppingis leading to many local shops closing down

to order– to request a product over the internet or from a shop when the required item is not in stock

- I must remember to go online andorderthe computer game my brother wants for his birthday or it won’t arrive in time.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 2: People

shopper – aperson who is shopping

- Itwas the start of the summer sales and the high street was packed with shoppers.

customer – a person whobuys goods or services from a shop or business

- I like to do my shopping early in the morning before theshops get busy with customers.

retailer– abusiness or person that sells goods to individual customers, as opposed to awholesaler or supplier, who normally sell their goods to another business

- Althoughsupermarkets are primarily food retailers,they also sell many other things such as electrical goods and clothing.

bargainhunter– someone who is looking for goods that are very good value formoney, usually because they are on sale at a lower price than normal

- My sister is a keen dedicated bargain hunter and rarely pays full price for anything.

shop assistant / sales assistant – a person whoserves customers in a shop

- These days, shop assistants are often too busy chatting to one another to helptheir customers.

cashier- the person who takes the money in a shop

- The cashierswere all busy and I had to join a queue to pay for my groceries.

market trader / marketvendor – a person who runs a stall at a market

- Iwas late getting into town and many of the markettraders were already packing away their stalls.

store detective– a person employed by a store to detect and prevent theft from the store byshoplifters.

- The store detectivestopped the man as he was leaving the store and discovered a stolen bottle ofwine in his coat pocket.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 3: Types of shop

shop/ store / retail outlet – a place where customers can buygoods

- My favourite shop / store / retail outlet to visit when I’m in London is Harrods.

chain store– a group of shops that belong to one company

- These days, most towns in the UK are full of chain stores and there are very fewindependent retailers left.

independent stores – shops not owned by large companies

- When I want to buy a specialoutfit for a wedding, I shop in an independentstore so that I can be sure that no one else will be wearing the samething.

department store – alarge shop that sells different types of items in different areas or departmentsof the store

-The department store in our townsells everything from clothes and shoes to bedding, kitchenware and cosmetics.

convenience store – a small local shop that is open for long hours andsells a limited range of everyday food and other goods

- If we run out of bread or milk, I send one of the kids downto the convenience store at the endof the road to buy some.

supermarket – alarge shop that sells mainly food and household items

- Ibuy most of our food at the supermarket,although I do like to go to the local butcher for meat.

discount store– a shop that sells goods at less than the normal retail price

- Having a motor parts discountstore near my home means that I can keep my car on the road quite cheaply.

grocery– shop that sells groceries (the collective term for items of food sold in agrocery or supermarket)

- I hope that our local grocerystore doesn’t close down now that a big supermarket has been build near town.

greengrocer – personor shop that sells fresh fruit and vegetables

-When I was young I was always given a free apple when I went to the greengrocer with my mum.

butcher – personor shop that sells fresh meat

- Mybutcher makes the best sausages inthe area.

bakery –shop that sells fresh bread and cakes

-Fresh bread from a bakery alwaystastes much better than bread bought from a supermarket.

fishmonger – personor shop that sells fresh fish

-Our fishmonger buys his fishstraight off the local fishing boats so it’s very fresh.

farm shop – ashop which sells produce from a farm directly to the public

- Buyingfrom a farm shop helps to supportthe local economy and guarantees the produce is fresh.

pharmacy– shop that sells medicines

- They were very helpful at thepharmacyand recommended some cough mixture that has calmed my chesty cough.

chemist(UK)/ drugstore(US)– sells medicines and toiletries

- I was glad that mum asked me to pick her tablets from thechemistas they had an offer on razor blades and I needed some new ones.

newsagents– shop that sells newspapers and magazines

- Harry stopped off at thenewsagentson his way to the train station each weekday morning to buy his daily paper.

pet shop– shop that sells food and other items for dogs, cats and other pets and sometimes small pets as well

- My dog loves visiting thepet shopwith me as he knows that I’ll buy him a dog chew.

bookshop– shop that sells books

I buy lots of Christmas and birthday present frombookshopsas all my family are keen readers.

DIY store– shop that sells things for home improvement

- Dad has promised me some shelves in my room so we’re off to theDIY storeat the weekend to buy some planks of wood and screws.

hardware shop / ironmonger– shop that sells goods such as nails, screws and hand tools.

- I love browsing inhardware storesas they sell so many interesting bits and pieces.

delicatessen (deli)– shop that specialises in cooked meats, cheeses, and unusual or foreign prepared foods

- My special treat is a venison and mushroom pie from our localdeli.

market– a place where people sell produce and good on small stalls

- I buy all my fruit and vegetables at themarketbecause they are fresher than in the supermarket.

flea market– a group of stalls selling old furniture or clothes

- Theflea marketin Portobello Road, London, started in the 1800s and is still popular with both locals and tourists.

shopping mall– a large enclosed shopping area from which traffic is excluded

- The first time I visited ashopping mallI was so excited to see so many big brand name shops all in one place.

shopping centre– alargebuildingor agroupofbuildingscontaininglotsof differentstores,often build away from town centres

- One of the reasons why people like out-of-townshopping centresis that you get free parking.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 4: Buying things

to buy / to purchase – to acquiresomething by paying for it

- Juan bought himself a new suit for his job interview.

- Kari couldn’t decide whether tobuy the red or the blue pair of shoes so she purchased both of them.

gift voucher – acard that you buy at a shop to give as a gift, which entitles the person toexchange it for goods worth the same amount

- Ioften give my nieces and nephews giftvouchers for their birthdays so that they can buy what they want.

discount voucher – aticket or piece of paper, often with a code on it, that gives money off thepurchase price

-When I bought my new TV, I got a discountvoucher for 20% off my next purchase from the shop.

coupon – a voucher, often printed in a newspaper or magazine, thatcan be used to get something without paying for it, or at a reduced price

- There’s a couponin our local newspaper this week for a free cupcake from the new bakery intown.

store card – a plasticcardthat can be used to buy goodsin a particularstorethat you pay for at a latertime

- My Macy’s store cardsaves me lots of money as I get 10% off everything I buy with it.

loyalty card– a card issued by a shop that enablescustomers to save money on the basis of how much they spend

- I have 9 points on my bookshop loyalty card and next time I buy a book I’ll get a second one forfree.

debit card– a plastic card used to pay for items that takes the money directly from your bankaccount

- My debit cardis now contactless so I don’t even need to enter my PIN number for smallpurchases.

credit card– a plastic card that you use to buy goods or services and pay for them later

- I’m careful as to how I use my credit card as it is very easy to overspend with one.

cash– money in the form of notes and coins

- I hardly ever use cashthese days as I do most of my shopping online.

receipt- a piece of paper showing the amount of money you have paid for something usedas proof of purchase

- I always keep the receiptwhen I buy something in case I have to return it.

refund– money given back to a customer when they return a product they are not happywith

-I took the faulty clock back to the shop and asked for a refund.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 5: Prices and cost

price- the amount of money you have to pay for something

- I was delighted when I looked at the price of the pretty blue dress and found that it was less than Ihad expected.

price tag– a label that states the price of an item

- When I see an item of clothing I like, I check the price tag first to see if I can affordit.

discount– a reduction in the price of something

- If I’m buying lots of items from a shop, I always ask fora discount.

a sale– aperiod during which a shop sells goods at reduced prices

- I need anew vacuum cleaner but I’m waiting until the January sales to save money.

on sale / on offer- for sale at a reduced price

- Umbrellas are onsale at the moment so I’m going to buy one ready for the rainy season.

to pick up a bargain / to snap up abargain – to buy something cheaply

- Shepicked upsome greatbargainsin thesale.

knock-down price – extremely cheap or costing much less than the usualamount

- Now that spring is here, they’re selling off winter coatsat a knock-down price.

to slash prices- to reduce prices a great deal

- Mr Patel is closing down his clothes shop and has slashed prices to sell off his stock.

expensive– costing a lot of money

- Stefan bought his girlfriend anexpensivenecklace for her birthday.

inexpensive / cheap– something that does not cost a lot of money

- Hyun-Gi looked in the sales for aninexpensivewatch to wear for work.

- Wan-Soo said he’d seen some nice watches goingcheapin the market.

to be value for money– to be worth the cost

- My new laptop was quite expensive but has all the latest features so I think it was good value for money.

over-priced –to cost more than you think it is worth

-The sunglasses made me look really cool but they were over-priced so I didn’t buy them.

to save up– to put money aside for something until the required amount is reached

- Khalil was savingup to buy a new bicycle.

haggle –to negotiate the cost of an item

- Ihad to really haggle with the carsalesman to get the price I wanted.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 6: In a shop

checkout– the place where payment is made for goods, especially in a supermarket

- The girl on the checkoutwas very friendly and chatted as she took the payment for my groceries.

queue– a line of people waiting

- The supermarket was really busy and I had to queue for ages at the checkout.

shelves– the place where they put the products in a shop, especially in a supermarket

- With Christmas only a few weeks away, the shelves were stacked with festive food.

trolley– a large container with wheels that youuse to put products in, especially in a supermarket

- It’s important to pack your trolley carefully so that your fruit and eggs don’t get squashed underheavy items.

changing room / fitting room– place in a shop where you can try clothes on before buying them

- Belita wasn’t sure which size blouse would fit her best soshe took a small and a medium into the changingroom to try on.

opening hours– the times when a shop is open for business

- In recent years, many shops have extended their opening hours to stay open later andcatch customers leaving work.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 7: Other shopping vocabulary

brand– a unique design, symbol or words, or a combination of these, used to createan image that identifies a product and differentiates it from its competitors

- When I buy new fitness trainers, I always choose awell-known brand like Nike so that I can be sure of thequality.

big brand names– large, well-known companies or product names

- Shoppers generally look for big brand names as their products usually have a good reputation.

brand-name goods – products made by a well-knowncompany

- Teenagers are a huge market for brand-name goods as having the samebrand as the cool kids makes them feel cool too.

high street names– well-known shops

- If you visit any town in the UK, you will see all thefamiliar high street names such as Boots, Marks & Spence and W.H.Smith.

a luxury– something expensive that you do not need but you buy for pleasure or comfort

- One day I’m going to treat myself to a luxury car but while the kids areyoung, a station wagon is far more suited to our family needs.

status symbol – a product that people want to have because they think othe people will admire them for owning it.

- Designed clothes are an important status symbol among young people.

second-hand– something that is for sale but hasbeen used before

- I often browse the second-handclothes shops to see if they’ve got anything worth having in my size.

fake – imitationor counterfeit

- Thesale of fake designer clothes andperfumes is illegal but can make dealers a lot of money.

genuine – whatit is meant to be, not fake

-The leather jackets were so cheap that Marlon doubted that they were genuine.

throwaway society – the idea that we have become a society that consumes alot of stuff and readily throws it away, replacing it with new goods

- Whilst the transition tothrowaway socieities is good for economic growth, it's leading to a huge waste problem.

Shopping Vocabulary Set 8: Idioms

the real McCoy –genuine, not fake

- Iwas worried that the gold bracelet I bought in the market wasn’t made of realgold but I showed it my uncle who’s a jeweller and he said it’s the real McCoy.

going for a song –on sale for a very low price

- Iwas glad I went to the end of season sale at the garden centre as many of theplants were going for a song.

to shop until you drop– to continue shopping until you are exhausted; to shop intensively over ashort period of time

- I’m meeting my best friend in town on Friday afternoon andwe’re going to shop until we drop.

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