A retailer is a business or person who sells products directly to customers like you and your family. When you walk into a bookstore, grocery store, or clothing shop, you're visiting a retailer.

Retailers are the final step in a long chain of getting products to people. A toy manufacturer makes the toys, a wholesaler buys them in huge quantities, and then retailers purchase smaller batches to stock their shelves. Without retailers, you'd have to buy things in enormous bulk directly from factories, which wouldn't be very practical if you just need one backpack for school.

Some retailers operate physical stores where you can touch and examine products before buying them. Others are online retailers where you browse and purchase through a website. Many retailers today do both, letting customers shop however they prefer. Whether it's a small family-owned bookshop or a giant chain store, any business that sells directly to regular customers rather than to other businesses is a retailer.