1.
shop, store, retail establishment
A retail shop or store, typically a smaller independent establishment. Often used in compound forms, especially in 商店街 (shopping street/district).
駅前に小さな商店がある。
There is a small shop in front of the station.
商店街を歩いて買い物をした。
I walked through the shopping street and did some shopping.
地方の商店街はシャッター通りと呼ばれるほど閉店が相次いでいる。
Shopping streets in rural areas have seen so many closures that they are called 'shutter streets.'
Most commonly encountered in the compound 商店街 (shopping street, shopping district) — a traditional row of small shops along a street, often covered with an arcade. These are a distinctive feature of Japanese neighborhoods.
As standalone 商店, it sounds somewhat formal. In everyday speech, 店 or お店 is more common for 'shop.'
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 商店街 — shopping street, shopping district
- 商店主 — shopkeeper
- 個人商店 — independently owned shop
- 商店が並ぶ — shops line up (along a street)