The Real Facts: Brick and Mortar vs. Online Shopping

Recently, one of our sales associates sent an email regarding his concern with the growing competition between brick-and-mortar stores and ecommerce. The general attitude of the media and of those around us is that online shopping is growing at such a rapid pace that in the near future, there will be nothing but ecommerce stores and online shopping!

Keep reading…that notion is absolutely incorrect.

Yes, online shopping continues to grow, but according to a Rutgers study, over 90% of all retail purchases are still bought in a brick-and-mortar store… OVER 90%!

Why do you suppose that with the steady increase in online shopping, brick-and-mortar business still has a stronghold? Let’s dig in and find out.

First of all, people (a large percentage are women) LOVE to touch, feel, try it out. How does that feel? Does it seem sturdy? Is the size what it appears to be? Is it the quality that it says it is? These questions are all answered in the store very easily and cannot be answered online.

Secondly, a big factor of shopping in a brick-and-mortar as opposed to online is immediate gratification. According to Retail Dive, men (in particular) like to take their items home with them. They don’t want to wait for delivery of products bought online.

Knowing this, programs having in stock items have become very popular in brick-and-mortar stores. Crawford Group keeps a select group of vanities, kitchen faucets and bathroom faucets in stock. Also, in stock are brand name groups of products like Kohler. This helps fulfill that need for buying and taking home.