What does discounter mean?
A discounter is a business—most often a retail store—that sells goods at persistently lower prices than conventional retailers, typically by trimming overheads, offering a narrower product range, or buying in bulk. The term covers everything from no-frills grocery chains to online sellers undercutting traditional shops, and it carries a largely neutral-to-positive connotation of value and efficiency rather than shoddiness. In journalism, especially British, 'discounter' is the standard shorthand for budget supermarket chains such as Aldi and Lidl, whose rise has transformed the grocery sector. Related terms like 'discount store', 'cut-price retailer', and 'hard discounter' describe variations on the model, with the last referring to stores offering extremely limited ranges at rock-bottom prices. The word derives from 'discount', combining the prefix 'dis-' ('away') with 'count', reflecting its core idea of counting off part of the normal price. For consumers, choosing a discounter signals a priority on savings over selection or service.
nounA business, especially a retail store, that sells goods at prices lower than the usual or recommended price.
- A retailer or business that sells merchandise at permanently reduced prices.
"She bought the television from an online discounter rather than a department store."
"German food discounters have reshaped the grocery market with their limited-range, low-price model."
"The airline positioned itself as a discounter, undercutting legacy carriers on every major route."
Regular plural, formed by adding -s. Commonly used when comparing retailers across a market or sector.
"Discounters gained market share throughout the recession as shoppers traded down."
The same 'dis-' that means 'off' in discount is what lets discounters strip it off your bill.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of discounter
Discounter is formed from the verb 'discount', which entered English in the early 17th century from Old French 'descompter', built on Latin roots: 'dis-' meaning 'away' plus 'computare' or 'contare', meaning to count or calculate. Originally a commercial term for deducting interest or value from a sum before payment, 'discount' broadened to mean any reduction in price, and the agent noun 'discounter' emerged to denote one who sells at such reduced prices. It shares its Latin counting root with words like 'count', 'compute', and 'recount'.
How discounter is actually used
Mostly used in commercial and journalistic contexts; in everyday speech people more often say 'discount store' or name the chain. In British English 'discounter' frequently appears in coverage of supermarkets (e.g. Aldi and Lidl), while American usage extends readily to online retailers.
Easily confused with discounter
A discount is the reduction in price itself, while a discounter is the seller or store that offers such reduced prices.