retail chain vs distributor

retail chain and distributor both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
retail chain	Yes	No	No	No
distributor	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, distributor is a hypernym of retail chain; that is, distributor is a word with a broader meaning than retail chain:

Other hypernyms of retail chain include chain.

retail chain (noun)	distributor (noun)
a chain of retail stores	electrical device that distributes voltage to the spark plugs of a gasoline engine in the order of the firing sequence
	a company that markets merchandise
	someone who markets merchandise
	a person with authority to allot or deal out or apportion