Shops

The largest commercial areas can be found in many cities, called downtown or, in Arab cities, souk. Shopping centers are collections of stores, groups of several companies.

Typical examples include shopping malls, town squares, flea markets and bazaars.

Stores

The stores are divided into several categories that sell selected goods or services together. Usually they are tiered by target demographics based on the disposable income of the buyer. They can be on several levels, from cheap to expensive.

Some shops sell second-hand goods. In free stores, goods can be taken freely. In antique shops, the public can find goods that are older and harder to find. Sometimes people are broke and borrow money from a pawn shop using an item of value as collateral.

Different types of retail stores specializing in the sale of goods related to a theme include bookstores, boutiques, candy shops, liquor stores, gift shops, hardware stores, hobby stores, pet stores, pharmacies, sex shops and supermarkets.

Other stores such as supermarkets, hypermarkets, convenience stores, department stores, general stores, and stores selling single price for a wider variety of products not horizontally related to each other.

Regulation

Some companies have the opening hours, but others are open continuously. Some nations regulate the operation of businesses for religious reasons and do not allow purchases to specific days or dates.

Translated and adapted from Wikipedia.