1.
affiliated store; group store; chain store within a corporate group
A shop or outlet that belongs to the same corporate group or distribution network as a parent company — for example a car dealership operating under a single manufacturer, or a convenience store within a chain. Used especially when explaining that a store is part of a larger business network rather than an independent one.
近くに系列店がある。
There is an affiliated store nearby.
系列店でも同じポイントが使える。
You can use the same points at affiliated stores too.
修理は購入した店だけでなく、全国の系列店でも受け付けてもらえる。
Repairs can be handled not only at the store where you bought the item, but also at affiliated stores nationwide.
Compound of 系列 ('lineage; corporate group; network') and 店 ('store'). Used to describe a store that is part of a larger corporate family, especially in retail and distribution — car dealerships, electronics stores, convenience-store chains, and restaurant groups. The word highlights the relationship to a parent or group, which affects service, pricing, and product availability.
USAGE:
- Common in product warranties, loyalty-program descriptions, and news about retail industry reorganization.
- Often contrasts with 独立店 ('independent store') or 直営店 ('directly-managed store').
- The broader business term 系列 by itself refers to Japanese corporate groupings (e.g., the Mitsubishi 系列), and 系列店 applies that idea at the retail-shop level.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 系列店で買う: to buy at an affiliated store
- 全国の系列店: affiliated stores nationwide
- 系列店を展開する: to roll out a chain of affiliated stores
- 系列店のネットワーク: network of affiliated stores
- トヨタ系列店: Toyota-affiliated store
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 直営店: directly-managed store — run by the parent company itself; a 系列店 may be directly managed or franchised.
- フランチャイズ店: franchise store — operates under a brand through a franchise contract, with an independent owner.
- チェーン店: chain store — general term for one of many stores under the same brand; overlaps with 系列店 but emphasizes uniform branding rather than the corporate-group link.
- 支店: branch store; branch office — a branch of the same company, usually under direct ownership.
- 加盟店: member store — a store that has joined a card, point, or franchise network by contract.