I have been shopping for a new car for my sweet bride. This is not one of my favourite activities. Auto dealerships are not a place where I would likely be found, were it not for the necessity of purchasing an automobile.

Something has happened to the self-applied nomenclature for auto dealerships. They were dealerships for many decades. Now the salesmen (who are called things like "associates" or "customer service representatives") refer to the establishment by which they are employed as a "store."

To me, a store is a place which sells groceries or liquor or clothing or hardware, hence the grocery store, the liquor store, the clothing store and the hardware store. But the auto store?

What do you suppose it is about the sense of the word "store" which makes it seem misapplied to a place which sells cars?