Plain Talk

Many have predicted the death of brick and mortar stores and the rise of e-commerce as online sales have progressively taken over a larger portion of total retail sales.

However, even as e-commerce and mobile commerce continue to experience a meteoric rise in popularity, brick and mortar storefronts will continue to be a staple of retailers.

Even as brick and mortar stores adapt to changing times, they will never go away – the reasons for which are simple, and are summed up perfectly on the Business 2 Community blog written by author Libra White.

 1.  Shopping is a visceral experience: people like to smell and touch the things they buy – whether that’s a sweater or a bottle of perfume, the experience is obviously much better in person, in a store.

 2.  Socialization: shopping has always been a social experience, and will continue to be. Shopping is about spending time with friends or family and asking opinions about how something looks before buying it.

 3.  The mall workout: walking through a mall and trying on clothes is an excellent way to burn calories. Online shopping doesn't offer nearly the same benefits.

 4.  No shipping frustration: yes, sometimes shopping online can be less expensive than a traditional store, but the majority of the time once you add in extra costs of shipping (standard, express, overnight), your online deal isn’t looking as great – especially if bad weather hits, and your package is delayed an extra week or two.

 5.  No product disappointment: When you go to a store, you know exactly how something fits – or doesn’t fit – and exactly what you’re getting.

 6.  Omnichannel experience: even though your laptop is at home, you can still leverage technology through various shopping apps to find the best deals and learn more about new items.

 7.  Instant gratification: shipping something you bought online can take days to weeks before it finally gets to you. If you go to a store, you can get the product immediately. Convenience is still king.

While online shopping is gaining ground, brick-and-mortar is here to stay, as can be seen with the rise of e-tailers establishing a physical presence.

Buxton is the leading customer analytics firm that helps organizations identify who their customers are, where those customers are located, and the value those customers have to the organization.

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