At the Mall and the Pet Shop: Shopping in English

The run-up to Christmas and New Year is a time of shopping and preparations, and Black Friday and other sales give us plenty of reasons to buy.

Online shopping is more and more popular, but many people still prefer to shop in person, and a shopping mall is the perfect place for a spree. It has every kind of shop, from clothes and electronics to toys and books.

If you're abroad, it pays to learn some shopping phrases, so you can ask for exactly what you need and never miss a promotion. One tip for the United States: the price on the tag usually doesn't include sales tax, so don't be surprised if you pay a bit more at the till!

In a clothes shop

Choosing clothes raises lots of questions. Do they have my size? Is there another colour? Where are the fitting rooms? Read and listen to this conversation with a shop assistant.

Shop assistant: Good morning, how can I help you?

Customer: Good morning. I'm looking for a denim jacket like this one, but in black.

Shop assistant: Oh, I'm afraid they're out of stock.

Customer: That's a shame. Any idea when they'll be back in stock?

Shop assistant: Unfortunately, not soon. This jacket went viral.

Customer: In that case I'll try on the blue one. Do you have it in a size 10?

Shop assistant: Let me check. Yes, here you are.

Customer: Thank you. Where is the fitting room?

Shop assistant: It's on the left.

Customer: Thanks, I'll try it on.

Shop assistant: So, does it fit?

Customer: Yes, I'll take it.

Shop assistant: Do you have our app?

Customer: No, why?

Shop assistant: You can download it now and register to get a 20% discount.

Customer: Great, give me a second. All right, here you are.

Shop assistant: Thank you. That's $30. Would you like to pay by cash or card?

Customer: By card, please. And I have a question.

Shop assistant: Yes?

Customer: How many days do I have to return this item?

Shop assistant: Seven days, and there are no cash refunds, only a gift card for our shop.

Customer: Okay, that's fine. Goodbye!

Shop assistant: Thank you, have a nice day!

Exercise 1

Match the words 1 to 9 with their definitions.

• •1. Bargain
• •2. Sale
• •3. Viral
• •4. Fit
• •5. Discount
• •6. Refund
• •7. Gift card
• •8. Denim
• •9. Out of stock

• •(Of an image, video, piece of information, etc.) circulated rapidly and widely from one internet user to another.
• •Jeans or other clothes made of a strong cotton fabric.
• •An occasion when goods are sold at a lower price than usual.
• •A card that can be exchanged for goods or services of a set value at a particular business, given as a present.
• •A reduction in the usual price of something.
• •Money paid back, typically to a customer who is not satisfied with what they bought.
• •Something on sale at a lower price than its true value.
• •Not available to buy in a shop at the moment.
• •To be the right shape and size.

Now fill in the gaps with the words from Exercise 1.

• •These shoes are too small, they don't ……………
• •Your total is 9.99 after the ……………
• •It was such a ……………! These shoes were 50% off.
• •She wanted a blue ……………, not the black one.
• •Unfortunately, it's ……………. I don't know when it will be available.
• •Mum, we need to go shopping. There's a ……………… in my favourite shop. Everything is 20% off!
• •I didn't know what to buy her, so I just got her a ……………… for ZARA.
• •These shoes went ……………… I bet everyone wants them now.
• •The shop gave me a full ………………

Finding your way around the mall

I'm lost! Don't panic: every mall has a floor plan that shows you where to go. Look at where the shops are in this mall.

Listen to people asking for directions in the mall.

Speaker 1

P1: Excuse me, I'm looking for H&M. Where should I go?

P2: You've walked past it. H&M is on the first floor.

P1: Really? Where?

P2: Next to the entrance, on the right.

P1: Thank you!

Speaker 2

P1: Mum, can we go to the cinema?

P2: Yes, let's find the cinema on the map. It looks like it's on the first floor, next to the pharmacy.

P1: Okay, let's go!

Speaker 3

P1: I'm famished. (very hungry)

P2: Me too! Shall we grab something to eat?

P1: Sure. There's a McDonald's and a KFC opposite the beauty salon.

P2: No, I'd rather eat something healthier.

P1: Okay, there's a restaurant on the second floor, near the bakery.

P2: Great, we can have a bite to eat there.

Speaker 4

P1: My sister is having a birthday party next week, and I have to pick up a present for her.

P2: Do you have something in mind?

P1: Yes, I was thinking of a necklace. Is there a jewellery shop?

P2: Let me check the floor plan. Yes, it's on the second floor, between the hair salon and the home appliances store.

Exercise 2: different shops at the mall

Match the shops to the sentences.

pharmacy / clothes shop / grocery store / pet shop / restaurant / toy shop / bakery / shoe shop / jewellery shop / sports shop / florist / music shop / hair salon / beauty salon / home appliances store / fast food restaurant / game store / bookshop

• •Mum asked us to buy ingredients for dinner today. We must go to the …………
• •He felt amazing after visiting the ……………… He was confident with his new haircut.
• •I got this necklace in a ……………… I spent a lot of money on it.
• •My brother has just got the latest NFS game from the ………………
• •She's ill, so I'm going to buy her some medicine at the ………………
• •Kate bought new shoes in the ……………… She's going to a party next week.
• •Liam wants a vinyl of his favourite artist's album. He can get one in a ………………
• •My husband brought me flowers this morning. He picked them up at the ………………
• •I went to the ……………… yesterday and bought this dress.
• •He's adopted a cat! Now he needs to go to the ……………… for some food and toys.
• •Our kettle stopped working. I think we need to buy a new one in a ………………
• •For Christmas, I'll buy her favourite book in a ………………
• •Children always want to go to the ……………… when they visit the mall.
• •To eat more healthily, you should avoid ………………
• •It's my birthday today, let's buy a cake at the ………………
• •She went to the ……………… and spent almost three hours there on her nails and make-up.
• •Don't go to this ………………, the food is terrible!
• •We bought you a basketball at the ………………

At the pet shop

Buying things for others is fun, and it's even better when they're for our pets! For good food and accessories we go to the pet shop. Listen to the conversation below and learn some useful phrases.

Shop assistant: Hi, how can I help you?

Client: I'm looking for dog food and some accessories. We're adopting a puppy, and I need to get everything before it arrives.

Shop assistant: Okay. Do you need wet or dry food?

Client: Honestly, I have no idea what's best for a little puppy. Could you help me?

Shop assistant: Of course. Wet food is a great choice for young puppies. Those whose teeth have only just come through and who have only just moved on to solid food can find it hard to chew and swallow, so dry food can be a challenge.

Client: Thank you, wet food then. Does it come in tins?

Shop assistant: Yes, in tins and sachets.

Client: What about some treats?

Shop assistant: You can get some, but remember not to give the dog treats too often.

Client: I understand. And the accessories, do you have any recommendations?

Shop assistant: Here are the essentials: a bed, toys to play with, a collar, a lead, bowls for water and food, shampoo, and since it's a small dog, a carrier to make trips to the vet easier.

Client: That's the basic list. Could you recommend anything else?

Shop assistant: You can get an ID tag with the dog's name on it. For walks, poo bags are essential for cleaning up after your dog. And if you like, you can buy some clothes too.

Client: Amazing, let's find everything!

A successful shopping trip? I hope so after today's lesson. See you in the next lessons on everyday situations!