Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is lesson 541. The title of today's lesson is the
difference between goods and merchandise. Okay. If somebody wants a screenshot do it right now.
Let's get right to it. All right. This is one that sometimes comes up in class because there's a lot
of crossover between these two words. First let me give you two meanings of goods. Goods are things
that are made to be sold. All right. Now with this meaning there's definitely crossover There's
times where it can be referred to goods and it could be referred to as merchandise. All right.
Here's our second meaning. Someone's goods could simply refer to one's belongings and are things
that can be moved. All right. So this is the sense where it's only goods and you can't call it
merchandise , especially since you're not selling it. You're still using it. It's, it's your... it's
the ones that you keep at home. It's your goods. For example, a house usually cannot be moved it
is your property but not one of your goods. All right. I just added this for another distinction
too. It's not your merchandise in this case either but other things that you have in your house are
your personal goods. But since a house can't be moved you don't call it goods. All right. Let's
continue. Merchandise is always used in a business sense or this is also important to think about.
They are things that can be bought, sold, traded or given away for the business' sake or
advertising. Encouraging sales etc. For example water bottles or T-shirts given away for signing
up to a credit card are more likely to be called merchandise. Yeah. In this sort of sense you know
especially merchandising also has a little bit of the idea of promotion and advertising in it. So it
would be it's a better word in this sense. So they might say that they're going to give you away some
...they're going to give away some. They'll probably use the word gift. They'll give you
a free gift , but it in the business sense we'd probably use merchandise here better than goods.
Let's continue. Or free calendars for advertising Again you're giving away
some merchandise here for for the sake of advertising. For the sake of promotion.
Now nearly all merchandise could be considered goods, especially in the selling sense,
but not all goods are merchandise. It's a good way to think about it. Merchandise is more of a higher
class word that make items in a store sound more special. Yeah. So if you were in a store
and you wanted to give a compliment. Oh I like your merchandise. That would be much more
likely. I like your goods that sounds a little weird. Could you say it ? Maybe but merchandise
would be a better word in that sense. All right . Here's one I give where you know maybe a student
could make a mistake. She packed all her worldly merchandise and moved to LA. No. You definitely
would not use merchandise in this sense. You would use goods. These are just your belongings. This is
your possessions. So merchandise would never be used in that situation but they are your goods
your all your worldly goods. All the things that you own. Things that belong to you.
All right. The second one here. When she was moving she donated a lot of her unwanted goods
to charity. Yeah. This is another one where you would not be using merchandise. You're
not selling it. You're giving it away. You're giving it to a charity organization. So it's not
really merchandise, but it is your unwanted goods. Things that you own that you're giving away. Now
the charity organization maybe might sell them. I don't know. If they sell them then it could
be their merchandise, but it's not when you're giving it to them. It's not your merchandise.
It's , you're giving away unwanted goods. Goods that you own that you just don't want anymore.
All right. Let's continue. You can find a large selection of goods at that department
store. You can find a large selection of merchandise at that department store.
Both could be used merchandise sounds nicer. Sounds better. Sounds more high class, but
both could be used here. So there's definitely crossover in this situation. Let's continue.
As a buyer for a department store, it is your job to spot merchandise
that would be good sellers. You might be able to use goods here, but merchandise sounds
better , sounds higher class , sounds like you know you're picking out really good stuff to sell.
And the last one. The GDP of a country is the total of all goods and services sold by it. Yeah.
Here you're more likely to use the word goods in the general sense. Of all the merchandise
sold by it. That sounds weird. Merchandise definitely is used more in a store. Definitely
probably more in the retail sense. You're more likely to use the word merchandise. Okay. Anyway,
I hope you got it. I hope you got a little better feel of when you're more likely to
use goods and when you're more likely to use merchandise. Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.