Display Fixture Glossary: English–Chinese Terms for Retail Fixtures, Materials and Trade
A working English–Chinese glossary for the retail display fixture industry, covering fixture types and store space, materials and craft processes, and commercial and logistics terms — around 70 entries for drawings, English quotations and cross-language project communication.
Why a fixed glossary matters
Terminology in the retail fixture industry is easily translated in several competing ways. Fixing one term to one translation is the precondition for cross-language project work: within a single drawing set and quotation, one Chinese term should map to exactly one English expression. The tables below cover fixture types and store space, materials and craft processes, and commercial and logistics terms — around 70 entries, ready for drawing annotations and English quotations.
1. Fixture types and store space
| English | 中文 |
|---|---|
| Display fixture / Visual merchandising props | 展示道具 / 陈列道具 |
| Brand counter / Dedicated counter | 专柜 |
| Wall unit / Back counter | 背柜 / 靠墙柜 |
| Island / Gondola | 中岛柜 |
| Stand / Tower unit | 边柜 / 立柜 |
| Cash desk / Checkout counter | 收银台 |
| Tester stand / Makeup station | 试妆台 / 试用台 |
| Window display | 橱窗 |
| Endcap / Promotional table | 端架 / 促销台 |
| Grid wall / Slatwall system | 挂墙系统 |
| Shelf / Step riser / Podium | 层板 / 台阶 / 展示台 |
| Light box | 灯箱 |
| Acrylic letters / Backlit letters | 亚克力字 / 背发光字 |
| Mannequin | 模特模型 |
| Festive decor / Seasonal decoration | 美陈 / 节日装饰 |
| Pop-up store | 快闪店 |
| Shop fitting | 整店装修 |
| Visual merchandising (VM) | 视觉陈列 |
| Planogram | 陈列图 |
| Customer flow / Store layout | 动线 |
2. Materials and craft processes
| English | 中文 |
|---|---|
| Acrylic / PMMA | 亚克力 / 有机玻璃 |
| Virgin material / Recycled material | 全新料 / 再生料 |
| MDF / Plywood | 密度板 / 多层板 |
| Wood veneer / Solid wood | 木饰面 / 实木 |
| Stainless steel (304 / 201) | 不锈钢（304 / 201） |
| Cold-rolled steel | 冷轧钢 |
| Aluminium profile / Extrusion | 铝型材 |
| Tempered glass / Low-iron glass | 钢化玻璃 / 超白玻璃 |
| Hardware / Fittings | 五金件 |
| Hinge / Slide rail / Shelf support | 铰链 / 滑轨 / 层板托 |
| Heat bending / Thermoforming | 热弯 |
| 45° seamless joint | 45° 无缝拼接 |
| Polishing | 抛光 |
| Laser cutting | 激光切割 |
| CNC engraving / CNC routing | CNC 雕刻 |
| Baked enamel / Stoving paint finish | 烤漆 |
| Electrostatic powder coating | 静电喷塑 |
| Electroplating | 电镀 |
| Brushed finish | 拉丝 |
| Lamination / Film wrapping | 贴膜 / 覆膜 |
| UV printing | UV 打印 |
| Silk-screen printing | 丝印 |
| Hot stamping | 烫金银 |
| Prototype / Sample approval | 打样 / 签样 |
| Shop drawing / Detailed design | 深化设计 / 施工图 |
| Load-bearing test | 承重测试 |
| Colour rendering index (CRI / Ra) | 显色指数 |
| Colour temperature (K) | 色温 |
| Flicker-free | 无频闪 |
| Formaldehyde emission grade (E1 / E0 / ENF) | 环保等级 |
| Fire rating (Class B1) | 防火等级 |
3. Commercial and logistics terms
| English | 中文 |
|---|---|
| Inquiry / Quotation | 询盘 / 报价 |
| Quotation sheet | 报价单 |
| Drawing revision | 图纸版本 |
| Minimum order quantity (MOQ) | 起订量 |
| Lead time | 交期 |
| Trade terms / Incoterms | 贸易条款 |
| Payment terms | 付款条件 |
| Warranty period | 质保期 |
| FCL / LCL | 整柜 / 拼箱 |
| 20GP / 40HQ container | 20 尺柜 / 40 尺高柜 |
| Packing list | 装箱单 |
| Commercial invoice | 商业发票 |
| Certificate of Origin (COO) | 原产地证 |
| Fumigation certificate (ISPM15) | 熏蒸证明 |
| HS code | 海关编码 |
| Customs clearance | 清关 |
| Shipping mark / Crate label | 唛头 / 箱标 |
| Export-grade packing | 出口级包装 |
| Site survey | 现场勘测 |
| Installation / Commissioning | 安装 / 调试 |
| Installation report / Handover | 安装汇报 / 验收 |
| Display update / Maintenance | 陈列更新 / 维修 |
| Spare parts | 备件 |
Practical usage notes
- Fix the wording used in drawings and quotations. Use one English expression per term across all project documents so that the site team does not read the same thing two ways.
- State the unit of measure. Use millimetres (mm) consistently on both Chinese and English drawings, and note it in the title block.
- Do not conflate counter types. 专柜 (dedicated counter) is a brand's independently operated sales area, whereas 柜台 (counter) is the physical display unit itself.
Frequently asked questions
Are "display fixture" and "shop fitting" the same thing? No. A display fixture is a specific display unit — a counter, island, window display or shelf. Shop fitting refers to the whole-store fit-out and spatial delivery, covering flooring, ceilings, MEP and signage in addition to fixtures. Project scopes should always state which of the two is meant.
How should "fitting" and "fixture" be distinguished? A fixture is a finished assembly fixed within the space, such as a counter, wall unit or grid-wall system. Fittings more often means installation and assembly parts — connectors, hardware and cable accessories. In practice the industry uses "hardware" and "fittings" interchangeably in that sense.
What is the difference between "tolerance" and "clearance" on a drawing? Tolerance is the permissible range of manufacturing error; clearance is the gap deliberately left between two parts. Both appear on shop drawings — the first governs machining precision, the second ensures the assembly can actually be put together on site.