Today, more people are considering investing their hard-earn money in various financial instruments, including bonds, mutual funds, stocks, among others. Investing in such securities is preferred due to their liquidity and ability to hedge against inflation. And this has led to a rise in retail investments. What Is A Retail Investment? Essentially, a retail investor is a non-professional investor or participant who conducts smaller trades and investments compared to institutional investors who are considered big players in the market. Retail investors generally use traditional or online brokerage firms for their transactions.