merchandise
merchandise — noun
1. products that a business offers for people to buy, especially in a shop or store
products that a business offers for people to buy, especially in a shop or store.
Shirin unpacked a new delivery of summer merchandise before the store opened.
All merchandise must be returned within thirty days to receive a full refund.
passive: merchandise must be returned
The company now sells its merchandise in over thirty countries across Asia and Europe.
Gabriel checked the price tag on every item of merchandise before placing it on a shelf.
用法筆記
Merchandise is almost always uncountable. Do not use 'merchandises' or 'a merchandise'. Use 'an item of merchandise' or 'a piece of merchandise' for countable references.
常見錯誤
2. items that carry the name, logo, or images from a popular film, music group, spo
items that carry the name, logo, or images from a popular film, music group, sports team, or other entertainment brand, sold to fans.
Fans queued outside the stadium to buy official team merchandise before the match.
collocation: official merchandise
The film earned more money from its merchandise than from ticket sales.
Isabela collected Harry Potter merchandise, including posters, T-shirts, and toy figures.
Pirated merchandise carrying fake logos is sometimes sold at street markets around the city.
- branded goods
more general term for any product carrying a brand name, not just entertainment
- fan gear
informal; specifically clothing or accessories for fans
- collectibles
focuses on items people collect rather than use
用法筆記
When used for a specific franchise or team, 'merchandise' can be treated as countable in the plural form 'merchandises' by some retailers, but standard usage keeps it uncountable. Use 'official merchandise' to distinguish licensed items from knock-offs.
常見錯誤
merchandise — verb
1. to use advertising, attractive displays, or other methods to make people want to
to use advertising, attractive displays, or other methods to make people want to buy a product.
The company hired a new team to merchandise its latest range of skincare products.
transitive: merchandise + product range
Feng learned how to merchandise fresh fruit so customers noticed the display first.
To attract holiday shoppers, the store merchandised its toys in bright window displays.
Élise showed the new staff how to merchandise winter coats for better visibility.
文法句型
merchandise + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is most common in retail and marketing contexts. The object is typically a product or product range. Do not confuse with 'sell' — merchandising focuses on how products are presented and promoted, not on the exchange of money.
常見錯誤
2. to trade in items as a regular business activity.
to trade in items as a regular business activity.
The Watanabe family has been merchandising handmade furniture in Kyoto for over forty years.
Tamás merchandises organic honey at farmers' markets across the region.
intransitive: merchandise + at [location]
Hoa decided to start merchandising herbal teas after noticing how much demand had grown.
Christopher's grandfather merchandised silk and spices along the old trading route.
文法句型
merchandise + noun phrase
merchandise + in/at + noun phrase
用法筆記
This sense is quite formal and less common in everyday speech. 'Trade', 'deal in', or 'sell' are more natural alternatives in most contexts. Often used in business writing or historical descriptions.