What is a Specialty Store?

A specialty store is a store, usually retail, that offers specific and specialized types of items. These stores focus on selling a particular brand, or a particular type of item. For example, a store that exclusively sells cell phones or video games would be considered specialized.

The definition for specialty store is actually somewhat loose. Sometimes it includes chain retail stores that sell a specific brand of clothing. This would make retail outlets like Gap, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, and Victoria’s Secret specialty stores, because all the clothing sold there is manufactured specifically for that store. If you buy something from the Gap, it will have a Gap label.

In this definition, the specialty store can carry a diverse range of products. Though Gap specializes in clothing, such clothing could be for children, teens or adults. You might also occasionally find Gap shoes or socks. This is certainly the case with a specialty store like Old Navy, where you can purchase not only clothes for the whole family, but also accessories, dog bowls, Frisbees, and a variety of other non-clothing related items.

In other cases, the specialty store is not brand sensitive, but offers certain kinds of items that could all be loosely classed together. A grocery store that specializes in selling organic products would be considered a specialty store and could include chain stores like Whole Foods. The many ethnic foods markets that import most of their products are also examples of the specialty store. Products can vary significantly, but they may all fall under the class of being imported from a specific place like Asia, England or Italy.

Another example of the specialty store is a store that sells one kind of item only, like cell phone stores or video game stores. Product selection is usually wide at a store like Electronics Boutique, which specializes in retailing games for the Playstation, Nintendo, and X-Box game systems. A cell phone specialty store might sell many different cell phone brands, in addition to offering access to contracts with a specific cell phone company.

Some specialty stores are not linked to a chain of stores, but operate from a single location. A small health food store, a high-class women’s boutique that offers couture clothing, or a little bait and tackle shop may all be considered examples of the specialty store. Even though prices might be higher at any of the above types of the specialty store, customers often prefer the expertise offered by small stores, usually opened by owners who are passionate about the products they sell. In large chain stores, assistance and product knowledge may not exhibit the same kind of quality as in smaller local stores. Exceptions do exist, and some chain stores are known for their high degree of customer service and product knowledge.