CELPIP Vocabulary for Shopping and Consumerism
The Celpip Plus team
Written and reviewed against the official CELPIP scoring criteria
Shopping & Consumerism collocations for CELPIP
Shopping is one of the most practical CELPIP topics, because it fits so many everyday problems. Writing Task 1 may ask you to email an online store about a damaged order, or a manager about poor service. Writing Task 2 surveys may ask whether a mall should become housing, or whether stores should charge for bags. In Speaking, Task 3, Describing a Scene, often shows a busy store or a farmers' market; Task 5, Comparing and Persuading, may ask you to choose between two products; and Task 8, Describing an Unusual Situation, may ask you to describe an odd item you've found in a store. These collocations help you talk about buying, returning and comparing precisely.
Verb + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| compare prices | check what different sellers charge | I always compare prices online before buying electronics. |
| make a purchase | buy something | She decided to make a purchase after reading the reviews. |
| return an item | bring a product back for a refund or exchange | He had to return an item because it didn't fit. |
| redeem a coupon | use a coupon for its discount | You can redeem a coupon at checkout for 20% off. |
| browse the aisles | walk around a store looking at products | We spent an hour browsing the aisles without buying much. |
| place an order | ask a seller to supply something you are buying | I placed an order for a new laptop last night. |
| track a shipment | follow a package's delivery online | You can track your shipment using the link in the confirmation email. |
| request a refund | ask for your money back | She had to request a refund after the blender arrived damaged. |
| haggle over the price | argue with a seller to get a lower price | People often haggle over the price at garage sales. |
| spot a bargain | notice a good deal | He has a talent for spotting a bargain at thrift stores. |
| add (an item) to your cart | choose an item to buy on a website | I added the boots to my cart but haven't checked out yet. |
| build customer loyalty | encourage people to keep coming back | The points program is designed to build customer loyalty. |
Adjective + noun collocations
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| an impulse buy | an unplanned purchase | The chocolate bars at the checkout are a classic impulse buy. |
| a hefty discount | a large price reduction | The store offered a hefty discount during its Boxing Day sale. |
| a limited-time offer | a deal that is available only for a short time | The flyer advertised a limited-time offer on winter coats. |
| brand loyalty | a habit of always buying the same brand | Many customers show strong brand loyalty to their phone maker. |
| disposable income | money left after essential expenses | Young professionals often have more disposable income for shopping. |
| a seasonal sale | a sale held at a particular time of year | We waited for the end-of-summer seasonal sale to buy patio furniture. |
| counterfeit goods | fake copies of brand-name products | Border officers seized a shipment of counterfeit goods at the port. |
| retail therapy | shopping to cheer yourself up | After a stressful week, she treated herself to some retail therapy. |
| a must-have item | a product that many people want right now | Those sneakers became this season's must-have item. |
| an online marketplace | a website where many sellers offer goods | Small businesses now sell on online marketplaces as well as in stores. |
| loyalty rewards | points or perks for repeat customers | I collected enough loyalty rewards for a free coffee. |
| a steep price tag | a very high price | The designer bag came with a steep price tag. |
Phrasal verbs
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| sell out (of) | have no stock left | The store sold out of the new phone within hours. |
| mark down (a price) | reduce a price, usually for a sale | Winter coats get marked down in early spring. |
| check out (at the register) | pay for your items in a store or online | We waited ten minutes to check out during the rush. |
| try on (clothes) | put on clothing to see if it fits | I always try on shoes before buying them. |
| pay off (over time) | finish paying for something you bought on credit | It took a year to pay off the couch we bought on credit. |
| stock up on (supplies) | buy a large amount to use later | We stocked up on water and batteries before the storm. |
| shop around | compare different stores before buying | It's worth shopping around before choosing a mattress. |
| rip someone off | charge someone far too much | That vendor tried to rip off tourists with inflated prices. |
| hand over (payment) | give money or a card to pay | I handed over a twenty and waited for my change. |
| swap out (an item) | exchange one item for another | The cashier let me swap out the medium for a large. |
| cash in (points or a voucher) | exchange points or a voucher for its value | You can cash in your points for a $10 gift card. |
| bump up (a price) | raise a price | Some retailers bump up prices right before a "sale". |
Formal and spoken phrases for shopping and consumerism
These phrases belong to shopping situations. Use the formal ones in Writing Task 1 emails to a store or customer service team, or in a Writing Task 2 survey response about shopping habits, and the spoken ones when you describe what you bought, or nearly bought, in Speaking.
Formal phrases for Writing
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| consumers are increasingly inclined to | more and more shoppers tend to | Consumers are increasingly inclined to shop online rather than in stores. |
| there is a growing tendency among shoppers to | more shoppers are starting to | There is a growing tendency among shoppers to choose products with less packaging. |
| in terms of cost-effectiveness | when you consider value for money | In terms of cost-effectiveness, buying in bulk often makes more sense. |
| as a result of aggressive marketing | caused by heavy advertising | Many children ask for sugary cereal as a result of aggressive marketing. |
| a defective product | an item that does not work as it should | I am writing because the heater I purchased is a defective product. |
| proof of purchase | a receipt or record that shows you bought an item | I have attached my receipt as proof of purchase. |
| under warranty | still covered by the maker's promise to repair or replace it | Since the television is still under warranty, I expect a free repair. |
| the store's return policy | the rules for bringing items back | According to the store's return policy, unopened items can be returned within 30 days. |
| store credit | a credit to spend at the same store instead of a refund | I would prefer a refund to my card rather than store credit. |
Spoken phrases for Speaking
| Collocation | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| I'm a bit of a shopaholic | I admit that I shop too much | I'm a bit of a shopaholic, especially during sales. |
| too good a deal to pass up | so cheap that I had to buy it | It was too good a deal to pass up, so I bought two. |
| I ended up buying | I bought something I hadn't planned to | I only went in for socks, but I ended up buying a jacket too. |
| it's not worth the money | the price is too high for the quality | That brand looks nice, but it's not worth the money. |
| it was a steal | it was very cheap for what it is | I got this bike for forty dollars. It was a steal. |
| go window shopping | look in stores without planning to buy | On Sundays we sometimes go window shopping downtown. |
| price match | (of a store) charge the same lower price that a competitor offers | Ask them to price match. The other store has it for less. |
| shop local | buy from small businesses in your own community | I try to shop local, even if it costs a little more. |
| on sale | being sold at a lower price than usual | Those boots were on sale for half price last week. |
Chunks such as "honestly" and "that's just how it is" fit any topic, so they are collected on two shared pages: Formal Phrases for CELPIP Writing and Natural Spoken Phrases for CELPIP Speaking.
Worked examples
Writing Task 1: A faulty coffee maker
Prompt: You ordered a coffee maker from an online store during a sale. When it arrived, it did not work properly. Write an email to the store's customer service team. In your email:
- describe what you ordered and when;
- explain the problem with the product;
- say what you would like the store to do.
Dear Customer Service Team,
On November 24, I placed an order on your website for a 12-cup coffee maker. It was part of your seasonal sale, and I was pleased to get a hefty discount of 40 percent. My order number is 58217, and I paid $89.99 with my credit card.
I tracked the shipment, and the parcel arrived on December 2, but the box was badly dented. When I set up the machine, the water tank leaked across the counter and the heating plate never warmed up. I tried it three times with the same result, so I believe it is a defective product rather than a setup error.
I would like to return the item and request a refund to my credit card. I have kept the original packaging and the email receipt as proof of purchase. If a refund is not possible, I would accept a replacement, but I would prefer not to receive store credit.
Please let me know how to send the coffee maker back.
Sincerely,
Marisol Reyes
The email covers the three bullets in order, gives the dates and order number a store would need, and states a first choice and a second choice.
Speaking Task 8: Describing an Unusual Situation
Prompt: You are shopping for a gift for your friend's new apartment, and you see this unusual item. Call your friend, who cannot see it. Describe the item and explain why you think they might like it.
Hey Sam, it's me. I'm browsing the aisles at that kitchen store downtown, and I've found the strangest toaster. It's about the size of a shoebox and bright yellow, with two slots on top like a normal toaster. But on the front there's a small screen, and it actually burns a picture onto your bread. The display model just toasted a slice with a little sun and the number twelve on it, because it prints the day's weather forecast!
You always say you never check the weather before you leave, so I thought of you right away. It has a steep price tag, about a hundred and twenty dollars, but it's a limited-time offer, and they've marked it down by thirty percent until Sunday. It's definitely not a must-have item. It's more of an impulse buy. But I think it'd make you laugh every morning. Do you want me to get it?
The answer describes the item's size, colour, shape and function before explaining why it suits the listener, which is what Task 8 asks for.
CLB 7 vs CLB 9: one sentence, two ways
CLB 7 version: The jacket was very cheap, so I bought it even though I didn't plan to.
CLB 9 version: The jacket was marked down by sixty percent, and it was too good a deal to pass up.
What changed: "very cheap" became the phrasal verb "marked down" with a specific figure, and "bought it even though I didn't plan to" became the chunk "too good a deal to pass up".
Common mistakes
- "I did a purchase" → I made a purchase, or simply I bought it.
- "Can you return me the money?" → Can I get a refund? or Could you refund my purchase? In English you return an item, and the store refunds your money.
- "We haggled the price" → we haggled over the price. "Haggle" needs "over" or "about" before the price.
- "Disposable income" confused with disposable products → disposable income is money left after essentials; disposable products are single-use items such as paper cups.
- "They sold out the phones" → they sold out of the phones, or the phones sold out.
- "I tried the jeans" (to check the size) → I tried on the jeans. "Try" alone means taste or test something; "try on" is for clothes.
- "I paid off the groceries" → I paid for the groceries. "Pay for" means buy; "pay off" means finish paying a debt.
- "We checked out from the store" → we checked out. "Check out" already means paying and leaving, so no extra preposition is needed.
- "I couldn't resist" (in a formal complaint) → I made the purchase on impulse. The spoken chunk is too casual for a formal email.
- "I bought it in a sale" → I bought it on sale. "In a sale" is British; Canadians say "on sale".
- "I want to change this shirt" (for a different size) → I'd like to exchange this shirt for a larger size. "Change" sounds like you want to alter the shirt itself.
- "Let's make shopping" → let's go shopping, or let's do the grocery shopping.
- "It's a cheap price" or "an expensive price" → a low price or a high price. Products are cheap or expensive; prices are low or high.
- "I'm searching a gift" → I'm looking for a gift or searching for a gift. "Search" without "for" means looking through a place, as in "search the house".
Practise
- Vocabulary flashcards and quizzes: review these collocations until they come to mind without effort.
- Writing Task 1 practice: write a complaint or refund email to a store and use at least five collocations from this page.
- Speaking Task 8 practice: describe an unusual product using "a steep price tag", "marked down" and "an impulse buy".