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.
At big electronics retailers, you can shop more cheaply by using a point card.
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.