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Shopping is an everyday activity, which makes it an excellent topic for English language practice. Whether your students are buying groceries, clothes, or gifts, they need the right vocabulary to communicate confidently.
In this post, you’ll find a variety of shopping vocabulary exercises to help learners review essential words, practice common expressions, and improve real-life communication skills.
Shopping Vocabulary List
Here are some useful words learners should know before doing the exercises:
- Shopping mall – a large building with many shops
- Cashier – the person who takes your payment
- Receipt – the paper showing what you bought and how much you paid
- Fitting room – the place where you try on clothes
- Discount – a reduction in price
- Refund – money returned to you
- Shelf – a flat board used to hold products
- Shopping cart / trolley – the wheeled basket you push when shopping
- Price tag – a label showing the price
- Queue / line – a row of people waiting
Shopping Vocabulary Exercises
1. Matching Exercise
Match the words with the correct definitions.
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| a. Cashier | 1. ___ A place where you try on clothes |
| b. Receipt | 2. ___ A reduction in the price |
| c. Discount | 3. ___ A label that shows how much an item costs |
| d. Fitting room | 4. ___ The piece of paper showing what you paid |
| e. Refund | 5. ___ Money that the store gives back to you |
| f. Shopping cart | 6. ___ The person who takes money from customers |
| g. Price tag | 7. ___ The wheeled container you push when shopping |
b-4
c-2
d-1
e-5
f-7
g-3
2. Gap-Fill Exercise
Complete the sentences using the vocabulary in the box.
Words: cashier – discount – shelf – queue – refund – shopping mall – fitting room – brand – checkout – aisle
- The __________ was very long, so we waited for ten minutes.
- You can try that jacket in the __________.
- The __________ gave me my change and wished me a nice day.
- They offered a 20% __________ on all winter clothes.
- The toy is on the top __________ near the window.
- If the shoes don’t fit, you can ask for a __________.
- This __________ has more than 100 stores.
- I usually buy this __________ because it’s good quality.
- You can pay for your groceries at the __________.
- The pasta is in the third __________ on the left.
2. fitting room
3. cashier
4. discount
5. shelf
6. refund
7. shopping mall
8. brand
9. checkout
10. aisle
3. Choose the Correct Option
Select the best answer.
- You can try on clothes in the
- (checkout / food court / changing room).
- When you finish shopping, go to the
- (cashier / shelf / elevator).
- Some supermarkets let you scan items at the
- (self-checkout / fitting room / escalator).
- If something is too expensive, you may wait for a
- (refund / discount / receipt).
- The clothes are displayed on the
- (queue / shelves / cashier).
- This store is offering a big
- (price tag / refund / sale).
- Before paying, I checked the
- (receipt / price tag / discount).
- Many people shop online because it is more
- (comfortable / aisle / cashier).
- The supermarket has a large
- (fitting room / parking lot / queue) for customers’ cars.
- She bought the perfume because she liked the
- (brand / shelf / refund).
2. cashier
3. self-checkout
4. discount
5. shelves
6. sale
7. price tag
8. comfortable
9. parking lot
10. brand
4. Dialogue Completion (7 items)
Complete the conversation with the correct shopping vocabulary.
Words: receipt – cashier – sale – fitting room – refund – shopping cart – discount – mirrors
- A: Excuse me, where is the __________?
- B: Just over there, next to the __________.
- A: Great, thank you. Also, is this shirt on __________?
- B: Yes, there’s a 30% __________ today.
- A: Nice! And if it doesn’t fit, can I get a __________?
- B: Of course. Just keep your __________ and bring it back to the __________.
B: mirrors
A: sale
B: discount
A: refund
B: receipt, cashier
5. Short Role-Play (Communicative Task)
Ask students to practice a short conversation using these prompts:
- Asking for a different size
- Asking about price
- Asking where the fitting room is
- Asking for a refund or exchange
Example starter lines:
“Excuse me, do you have this in medium?”
“How much is this sweater?”
Recap: Essential Shopping Vocabulary & Phrases
1. Essential Shopping Vocabulary
- Shopping mall – a large building with many shops
- Store / shop – a place where you buy things
- Cashier – the person who takes your payment
- Customer – the person buying something
- Checkout – the place where you pay
- Receipt – the printed proof of your purchase
- Price tag – a label showing the price
- Discount – a reduced price
- Sale – a period when items are cheaper
- Refund – money you get back when you return something
- Exchange – replacing one item with another
- Fitting room / changing room – place to try on clothes
- Shopping cart / trolley – wheeled basket for carrying items
- Basket – a handheld container for shopping
- Shelf – a flat board that holds products
- Aisle – a passage between shelves
- Brand – the name of a product company
- Size – measurement of clothing
- Queue / line – people waiting to pay or enter
- Self-checkout – machine where customers scan and pay
- Barcode – the black-and-white code on products
- Food court – eating area in a shopping mall
3. Useful Shopping Phrases
Asking for help
- “Excuse me, can you help me?”
- “Where can I find the…?”
- “Which aisle is the…?”
- “Do you have this in a different size/colour?”
- “Do you have this in stock?”
Trying on items
- “Where is the fitting room?”
- “Can I try this on?”
- “This doesn’t fit. Do you have a bigger/smaller size?”
Asking about prices
- “How much is this?”
- “Is this on sale?”
- “Do you offer a discount?”
- “Is the price the same online?”
At checkout
- “Can I pay by card?”
- “Do you need a bag?”
- “Can I have the receipt, please?”
Returning or exchanging
- “I’d like to return this, please.”
- “Can I exchange this for another size?”
- “I bought this yesterday. Can I get a refund?”
Cammbridge Dictionary Shopping Vocabulary Cloud
Conclusion
These shopping vocabulary exercises help learners build practical language skills they can use in real-life situations. From matching and gap-fills to role-plays, the activities support both comprehension and speaking practice.
Feel free to integrate these into your lessons, online quizzes, or homework assignments.
