1.
big-box electronics retailer; large consumer electronics store chain
A large retail store — usually part of a chain — that sells home appliances, personal computers, cameras, smartphones, and other consumer electronics in bulk. In Japan, famous examples include ヨドバシカメラ, ビックカメラ, and ヤマダ電機.
家電量販店でテレビを買った。
I bought a television at a big electronics store.
駅前の家電量販店は値段が安い。
The big electronics store in front of the station has low prices.
家電量販店では、ポイントカードを使うとお得に買い物ができる。
At big electronics retailers, you can shop more cheaply by using a point card.
最近は、地方の小さな電気屋さんが減って、大手の家電量販店ばかりになってきた。
Recently, small local electronics shops have been disappearing, and only the major big-box chains are left.
Composed of 家電 (home appliances, short for 家庭用電気製品) + 量販店 (mass-sales store). The second element 量販店 literally means "high-volume sales store" and on its own can refer to any big-box retailer; with 家電 attached, it specifically names the consumer-electronics variety.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 家電量販店で買う: to buy at a big electronics retailer
- 大手の家電量販店: major big-box electronics chain
- 家電量販店の店員: sales staff at a big electronics retailer
- 家電量販店のポイントカード: a big electronics retailer's point card
- 家電量販店の店舗: a branch of a big electronics retailer
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 電気屋: electronics shop — the everyday term; can refer to anything from a small independent appliance shop to a branch of a big chain. Much less formal than 家電量販店.
- 家電ショップ: same as 電気屋, with a more modern feel.
- デパート: department store — sells electronics as one category among many, with generally higher prices.
- ディスカウントストア: discount store — broader kind of big-box store selling many categories, not just electronics.
CULTURAL NOTE:
Big-box electronics retailers are a conspicuous part of the urban Japanese shopping landscape. They famously compete on point-card rebates (ポイント還元), sometimes offering 10% or more of the purchase price back as points. The largest chains cater to international tourists as well, with tax-free counters and multilingual staff.