If you're traveling where Spanish is spoken, you'll run into the word most often as the names of specialty stores, such as zapatería for shoe store (the word for shoe is zapato) and joyería for jewelry store (una joya is a jewel or gem). It is less commonly used for a place where an item is manufactured or processed, such as herrería for an ironworks or blacksmith's shop (it is related to hierro, the word for iron).
The suffix comes from the Latin suffix -arius, which had a far more general usage. The suffix exists in English in the form of "-ary," as in "apothecary," although that suffix also has a more general meaning than does -ería.
Following are some examples of shop names using -ería. This list is far from complete but includes many of them you're likely to come across.
cafetería — coffeeshop, snack bar (from café, coffee)
carnicería — butcher shop (from carne, meat)
cervecería — brewery, bar
confitería — candy store (from confite, candy)
dentistería — oral surgeon's office
drogería — drugstore, variety store
ebanistería — cabinet shop, place where cabinets are made (from ebano, ebony)
ferretería — hardware store (from a old word for iron)
floristería — flower shop
frutería — fruit shop
heladería — ice-cream parlor
herboristería — herbalist's shop
herrería — blacksmith's shop
joyería — jewelry shop
jugetería — toy shop
lavandería — laundry (from lavar, to wash)
lechería — dairy
lencería — linen shop, lingerie shop
librería — bookstore
mueblería — furniture store
panadería — bakery (from pan, bread)
papelería — stationery store
pastelería — pastry shop
peluquería — hairdresser's shop, beauty shop, barbershop (from peluca, wig)
pescadería — seafood store
perfumería — fragrance shop, perfume store
pizzería — pizzeria, pizza parlor
sastrería — tailor's shop
sombrerería — hat shop, hat factory
tapicería — upholstery shop, furniture store (from tapiz, tapestry)
tintotería — dry-cleaner's (from tinto, red wine)
verdulería — produce store, greengrocer's, vegetable market (from verdura, vegetable)
zapatería — shoe store
