One stop shop

A one-stop shop, one-stop store or one-stop source is a business or office where multiple services are offered; i.e., customers can get all they need in just 'one stop'. The term originated in the United States in the late 1920s or early 1930s to describe a business model offering customers the convenience of having multiple needs met in one location, instead of having to 'drive all over the town' to attain related services at different stores. The phrase is now used as slang to describe everything from Web sites to TV shows where people can find most of what they need, including information, in one place. A one-stop shop, one-stop store or one-stop source is a business or office where multiple services are offered; i.e., customers can get all they need in just 'one stop'. The term originated in the United States in the late 1920s or early 1930s to describe a business model offering customers the convenience of having multiple needs met in one location, instead of having to 'drive all over the town' to attain related services at different stores. The phrase is now used as slang to describe everything from Web sites to TV shows where people can find most of what they need, including information, in one place. Local authorities in the United Kingdom use the term to describe the facility they offer for their residents to discuss and arrange services with officers of the authority. They are promoted on the idea that they provide a single point of contact but they are also designed from a security point of view to restrict public access to the town (city, etc.) hall. A one-stop shop for workforce development may offer job training, housing assistance, and other services, for example. The offices are similar to Jobcentres in the UK, providing an easy way to get government and council advice. In Australia, the Centrelink agency is a very similar model.