From Sino-Korean 家家 or a native Korean development; historically referred to a stall or merchant's stand, and has been in common use since at least the Joseon period to denote any small retail outlet.

In Korea, small neighbourhood shops called 가게 are everywhere — from tiny corner stores (구멍가게, literally "hole stores") to street food stalls. The larger convenience store chains (편의점) have become ubiquitous in modern cities, but 가게 remains the everyday word for any small shop. Don't confuse it with 시장 (sijang), which refers to a larger traditional market.