cash-and-carry

IPA/ˌkæʃ ən ˈkæri/
IPA/ˌkæʃ ən ˈkæri/

cash-and-carry — noun

1. a wholesale outlet where customers (often other businesses) buy goods in quantit

1.nounB2
Definition

a wholesale outlet where customers (often other businesses) buy goods in quantity at discounted prices, settling the bill in cash and transporting the items themselves; also, the trading policy based on this arrangement

Example

Arif runs a small grocery and buys supplies every Friday at the local cash-and-carry.

collocation: cash-and-carry as a place you go to for supplies

The restaurant owner bought fifty kilos of rice on a cash-and-carry basis to save money.

pattern: on a cash-and-carry basis

Common collocations
  • cash-and-carry warehouse
  • cash-and-carry outlet
  • cash-and-carry wholesaler
  • shop at a cash-and-carry
Synonyms
  • wholesale outlet

    broader term that may or may not require cash payment and self-transport

  • warehouse store

    similar large-format retailer, but often open to the general public

  • wholesale club

    typically requires a membership fee, unlike most cash-and-carry operations

Usage Note

Often used with 'on a ... basis' when referring to the business arrangement rather than the physical store.

Common Mistakes

I went to the cash-and-carry to buy one loaf of bread for dinner.
I went to the cash-and-carry to stock up on supplies for my shop.
cash-and-carry outlets are designed for bulk buying, typically by businesses, not individual shoppers picking up single items.

cash-and-carry — adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A cash-and-carry is a specific type of wholesale outlet where the buyer must pay immediately in cash or by card and take the goods away themselves — delivery is not part of the deal. This sets it apart from a general wholesale outlet, which may offer credit terms or delivery services to regular business customers. A warehouse store, by contrast, is often open to the general public and focuses on selling large-pack goods in a no-frills environment, but it does not necessarily require self-transport. A wholesale club like Costco adds another layer: shoppers must pay an annual membership fee to access the discounts, whereas most cash-and-carry operations are open to any registered business without a subscription. So while all four formats sell in bulk at lower prices, the cash-and-carry is defined by its pay-now, haul-it-yourself model — a crucial distinction for small business owners weighing costs against convenience.

wholesale outletwarehouse storewholesale club

Common collocations

Prepositions

  • on a cash-and-carry basis

Etymology

English

A straightforward compound of 'cash' (immediate payment) and 'carry' (transport by the buyer). The term emerged in early 20th-century American wholesale retail to describe operations where customers paid on the spot and handled their own transport, cutting out the costs of credit and delivery that traditional wholesalers passed on in their prices. The model gained wider traction after World War II as small retailers looked for cheaper supply chains.