hardline

English [edit]

hard line (some consider this to be a misspelling)

hard + line The term does not appear in either the 1913 or 1838 versions of Webster's Dictionary (confirmed at the ARTFL Project).

hardline (plural hardlines)

(business) a retail product collection consisting primarily of hardware targeting the do-it-yourself customer
- 2002, John Cornell III, Hardlines FAQ (live original), Hardlines Digest:
  
  The Hardlines Digest is an Internet mailing list for members of the retail hardware and home center industry.

(business) a retail product collection which includes many non-information goods, such as home appliances, housewares, sporting goods, in addition to the DIY hardware which is the focus of the first definition, above.
- 2010, Staff, Target June Comps "Relatively Soft" - Update (live original), RTTNews:
  
  Comparable-store sales in hardlines declined in the mid single-digit range, with the strongest performance in sporting goods.

hardline (not comparable)

uncompromising; rigidly holding to a set of beliefs
(business) belonging to a hardline (business noun sense); e.g. "hardline product"
- 2010, Hardline Services by SGS (live page), SGS Group:
  
  Safety, product quality and performance are prerequisites for all hardline products such as toys, cosmetics, furniture, jewellery, DIY, etc.