grocery

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "grocery" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used when referring to a store that sells food and other household items or when discussing grocery shopping in general. Example: "I need to stop by the grocery to pick up some milk and bread."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Travel

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Like-for-like sales advanced every quarter under his leadership until the last one, when the revolution currently under way in the grocery business – shoppers' sudden switch to convenience stores, online services and discounters like Aldi – finally caught up with him.

The Guardian - Business

Tesco's share of the UK grocery market is at a 10-year low (pretty much the same as the share price).

The Guardian - Business

The supermarket is currently offering £55 off your first five grocery shops at waitrose.com – £15 off your first and £10 off your second, third, fourth and fifth shops.

The Guardian - Money

The offer is available to first-time online grocery orders only, and you must spend at least £100 on each shop.

The Guardian - Money

In the commercial, a housewife encounters the product in a grocery store aisle and ponders whether to add it to her trolley.

The Guardian

Tuesday Went to lectures and spent the afternoon in the library before meeting my mum in town to do grocery shopping.

The Guardian

Related: Bird flu outbreak continues as flock of millions registers infection in Iowa Egg supplies are falling short of demand, the US Department of Agriculture has indicated, and Brown said egg buyers such as grocery stores and wholesalers are trying to stock up for fear that another large farm with millions of chickens will be stricken – causing prices to spike higher.

The Guardian

It's like a grocery store that has become a gigantic shopping mall, but never been able to stop to think about the best design for its current incarnation.

The Guardian - Tech

As for consumer goods companies and grocery stores, the report offers qualified praise for Walmart, Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever.

The Guardian

The grocery stores in Codrington, Barbuda's quiet main village, are fairly limited, so guests often stock up on basics beforehand in Antigua, about 30 miles away (daily flights; ferry five days a week).

The Guardian - Travel

"In comparison, net spending on utilities and groceries is growing more slowly than consumer spending overall, a reflection of falling fuel prices at the pump and the grocery sector's intense price competitions".

The Guardian - Business

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about food retail, use "grocery" to refer to the items themselves or the act of shopping. Use "grocery store" or "supermarket" when referring to the physical location.

Common error

Avoid using "grocery" as a plural noun. The correct plural form is "groceries". For example, say "I need to buy groceries" instead of "I need to buy grocery".

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "grocery" is as a noun, referring to retail foodstuffs and household supplies. As Ludwig confirms, it can also denote a store that sells these items. This is evident in examples like, "Tesco's share of the UK grocery market is at a 10-year low."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Travel

5%

Less common in

Science

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The term "grocery" is a common noun referring to foodstuffs, household supplies, or a store selling these items. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is grammatically correct and widely used. The phrase appears most frequently in News & Media and Formal & Business contexts, indicating a neutral formality level. When writing about food retail, consider using more specific terms like "supermarket" or "food store" for clarity. Be mindful of the plural form, "groceries", and avoid using "grocery" as a plural noun. The examples analyzed demonstrate its diverse application in discussions ranging from market trends to personal shopping experiences.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Food supplies

Emphasizes the availability and quantity of food items.

Foodstuffs

Refers specifically to items that can be used or prepared for use as food.

Provisions

Implies a supply of food and other necessary items, often for a journey or a specific period.

Food products

Refers to processed or manufactured items intended for consumption.

Edibles

Focuses on items that are safe and suitable for eating.

Consumables

General term for items that are used up or depleted, including food and household goods.

Market goods

Highlights items typically found and purchased at a market.

Cooking ingredients

Specifies items used in the preparation of meals.

Staple foods

Denotes essential and frequently consumed food items.

Shopping items

Encompasses all items typically purchased during a shopping trip.

FAQs

How is "grocery" used in a sentence?

"Grocery" can refer to foodstuffs or the place where they are sold. For example, "I need to buy grocery" or "The grocery store is on Main Street".

What is another word for "grocery"?

Depending on the context, you could use "foodstuffs", "provisions", or "supermarket".

What's the difference between "grocery" and "groceries"?

"Grocery" is a singular noun often used to describe the general category of food items. "Groceries" is the plural form, referring to a collection of food items.

Is it correct to say "grocery shopping" or "groceries shopping"?

"Grocery shopping" is the correct term. It uses "grocery" as an adjective to describe the type of shopping. "Groceries shopping" is not standard English.