DISCOUNT STORE

in merchandising, retail store that sells products at prices lower than those asked by traditional retail outlets. Some, like department stores, offer wide assortments of goods; others specialize in such merchandise as jewelry, electronic equipment, or electrical appliances. Food stores also have been operated on the discount principle. Stores that are open only to certain groups, such as cooperatives or government employees, are often known as closed-door discount stores. Discount stores existed in the United States as early as the 1930s but matured only after World War II. They were successful because of the great postwar demand for consumer goods, because of their supermarket techniques, and because of the collapse of fair-trade laws that required distributors to sell at prices set by the manufacturers. Discount stores have spread worldwide, notably to western Europe, Latin America, Australia, and Japan.