In America ...

are %26#39;shops%26#39; always called stores, retail outlets or shoppees. I say %26#39;I am going to the shops%26#39; and that look comes on their faces like I am talking Unwinese.

Tell me what the right phrase is?

In America ...

Vegas, i think the term you%26#39;re looking for is; ';we%26#39;re going to the Maaaarrrll';!!

In America ...

You say I am going shopping.

This could mean anything from groceries to malls or walmart.

I%26#39;ve always considered shops as small and stores as large. We have a local grocery store but I always say I%26#39;m going to the shop. Figure that out. Walmart is a store. I%26#39;m going shopping at the stores. There are stores in the mall. Shops along the street. I guess I use both terms but mostly ';stores';.

You shop in stores. Shop is mostly used as a verb, except for small mom and pops, such as ';Barber Shop'; and ';Butcher Shop';.

Who Cares???

There are some places called shops. As the previous poster said, those are mainly very small stores. There are coffee shops, book shops, card shops, etc.

However, as you%26#39;ve noticed, people in the U.S. don%26#39;t say, ';I%26#39;m going to the shops.'; We%26#39;ll usually say, ';I%26#39;m going shopping.'; That often implies that they%26#39;re going to a number of different stores, but not always.

Other times, if people are just going to one store, they%26#39;ll just name the store,';I%26#39;m going to Target.'; Occasionally people will say, ';I%26#39;m going to the store.';

Another common thing to say is ';I%26#39;m going to the mall.';

I%26#39;ve never heard anyone say, ';I%26#39;m going to the retail outlets.'; That term is rarely used casually. (It is often used by business people in brochures, etc.)

I hope this helps a little!

Vegas

Forget about shopping. I cant understand why anyone wants to spend their holidays shopping.

Holidays are for relaxing %26amp; having fun %26amp; enjoying the sin on the beach %26amp; eating %26amp; drinking. Who wants to waste the gorgeous Floridian sunshine by being stuck in a shopping mall?

Lilly hit the nail right on the head. If I am going to one place I am going to the store. If I am going to more than one place I am going shopping. If I am going to the mall....I am hitting the mall. Same with the outlet stores...I am hitting the outlet.

I owned a Shop

I was a Shop Keeper

I got tired of Keeping a Shop

I have since retired :)

I don%26#39;t like Shopping

I won%26#39;t Shop ( or go shopping or visit any Stores or Hit any Malls ) while on Holiday

Jenni, Some people find pleasure in shopping. I do not but my constantly moving, professional racer wife does. Add to that the value of your money in this market and you essentially have a half-off sale. It would be fun to go where everything is cheap, including the good quality stuff.