mer·chan·dise • n. / ˈmərchənˌdīz; -ˌdīs/ goods to be bought and sold: stores that offered an astonishing range of merchandise. ∎  products used to promote a particular movie, popular music group, etc., or linked to a particular fictional character; merchandising.• v. / ˈmərchənˌdīz/ (also mer·chan·dize) [tr.] promote the sale of (goods), esp. by their presentation in retail outlets: a new breakfast food can easily be merchandised. ∎  advertise or publicize (an idea or person): they are merchandising “niceness” to children. ∎ archaic trade or traffic in (something), esp. inappropriately. ∎  [intr.] archaic engage in the business of a merchant.DERIVATIVES: mer·chan·dis·a·ble / -ˌdīzəbəl/ adj.mer·chan·dis·er / -ˌdīzər/ n.

merchandise † exchange of commodities; commodities of commerce. XIII. ME. marchaundise, mercandise — (O)F. marchandise, dial. † marcandise, f. marchand + -ise, repr. L. -ītia.
So merchant XIII. ME. marchand, -aunt — (O)F. marchand, † march(e)ant :- Rom. *mercātante, sb. use of prp. of *mercātāre, f. mercārī, mercāt-, f. merx, merc- merchandise, whence also Mercurius (see MERCURY).