merchandise

noun

1. (uncountable, usually)Goods which are or were offered or intended for sale.

   “Good business depends on having good merchandise.”

   “So, if a Sonne that is by his Father ſent about Merchandize, doe ſinfully miſcarry vpon the Sea; the imputation of his vvickedneſſe, by your rule, ſhould be impoſed vpon his Father that ſent him: […]”

   “The custom of giving away merchandise for advertising purposes is greatly on the increase in this country. More goods are now distributed in one year as advertising novelties and as premiums than in a decade 10 or 15 years ago.”

   “It has been stated that Fred Beers is giving free merchandise to this store and I believe you will find that one of your inspectors obtained a bottle of milk free when he purchased some groceries on Thursday Nov. 23rd [1933].”

2. (uncountable, usually)Commercial goods connected (branded) with an entity such as a team, band, company, charity, work of fiction, festival, or meme. (Commonly shortened to merch.)
3. (archaic, countable, usually)A commodity offered for sale; an article of commerce; a kind of merchandise.

   “Would we then see in what sence heavenly things may be called a merchandise, and in what sence not; this is easy to him that will understand.”

   “What security was there that she might not be a very unfit person, one who had made a merchandise of her charms, the child itself being the offspring of some accidental connexion?”

   “Who feeds a flock, and makes not a merchandise of the sheep?”

4. (archaic, uncountable, usually)The act or business of trading; trade; traffic.

verb

1. (archaic, intransitive)To engage in trade; to carry on commerce.
2. (intransitive)To engage in in-store promotion of the sale of goods, as by display and arrangement of goods.

   “He started his career merchandising in a small clothing store chain.”

3. (archaic, transitive)To engage in the trade of.
4. (transitive)To engage in in-store promotion of the sale of.

   “He got hired to merchandise some new sporting goods lines.”

5. (transitive)To promote as if for sale.

   “The record companies don't get as good a return on merchandising artists under contract.”