big-box

American

[big-boks] / ˈbɪgˈbɒks /

adjective

pertaining to or noting a very large retail store that does a high volume of business and usually has low prices.

Big-box retailers claim that they create jobs and boost tax revenue.

Other Word Forms

big box noun

Etymology

Origin of big-box

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

In Amazon’s early days, critics thought it would be too expensive for the company to compete with big-box stores, he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

His reports flag dubious stops at big-box stores, fast-food restaurants, relatives’ homes and employees’ side businesses, with precise times and durations.

From The Wall Street Journal

Those retailers will report after Walmart investors shrugged off the big-box retailer’s tempered outlook last week.

From MarketWatch

Solid earnings from the big-box chain in recent quarters have underscored growing popularity with wealthier US consumers, as well as with less prosperous consumers in its home market, where some 90 percent of the population lives within 10 miles of a company location.

From Barron's

A multiyear flight to bargains, as well as investments in e-commerce and AI-backed shopping, have helped the big-box chain consolidate its grip on the retail market.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023