The word "连锁店" is formed by combining the characters 连 (meaning "to connect" or "chain"), 锁 (meaning "lock"), and 店 (meaning "shop" or "store"). The compound 连锁 literally suggests a "chain lock" or "interlocking chain", which metaphorically represents a series of connected entities. When 店 is added, it specifies that this chain refers to retail outlets, thus creating the meaning "chain store", indicating multiple shops operating under a unified system.