A greengrocer is a person who owns or operates a shop selling primarily fruit and vegetables. The term may also be used to refer to a shop selling primarily produce. It is used predominantly in the United Kingdom and Australia.
In the United States, the terms produce store or produce shop are used. By the 1940s, produce sales (measured in tonnage) made at grocery stores had surpassed those made at produce stores.[1]
While once common in the United Kingdom and Australia, the increase in popularity of supermarkets caused greengrocer shops to become rarer, though they may still be found in smaller towns and villages. Today, greengrocers can also be found in street markets, malls, and supermarket produce departments.
Greengrocers' apostrophe
Because of its common misuse on greengrocers' signs, an apostrophe used incorrectly to form a plural—such as apple's, orange's, or banana's—is known as a greengrocers' apostrophe.[2]
See also
References
- ↑ Marius Peter, Rasmussen; Ford Alrik, Quitslund; Edwin Wood, Cake (1943). Fruit Sales in Retail Grocery Stores and Meat Markets, New York City. United States: Cooperative Research and Service Division, Farm Credit Administration, U.S. Department of Agriculture. p. 9. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ↑ Quinion, Michael. "Possessive Apostrophes: The greengrocer's speciality". Retrieved 10 October 2011.
