![]() Multichannel review streams with a combination of the fast pace technology and the one-on-one retail experience is the future of retail. It was once believe that the dot com era would take over and the old-style brick and mortars would be fully replaced. Yet instead, we were hit with the mobile revolution; taking the digital world into every part of our daily lives instead of our lives into the digital world. The future of online has become offline. History shows that every 50 years or so there is a disruption in retail, drastically changing the markets. Railroads were followed by mass-production lines. Then came the spread of discount chains and big-box stores. And now the internet. What is most important to note, is that these growths are not taking the retail market and flipping it on its head. Rather, these waves work to reshape and redefine customer experiences. Retailers relying on past ways either chose to adapt or eventually die out as the new production paths pull customers in different ways. Retailers that began with only an online presence are venturing back against the typical shift toward technology and creating a traditional storefront to continue to build their brand. We have seen many big online retailers move to showrooms and flagships. From French fashion retailer Spartoo, to socially-conscious eyewear brand Warby Parker, to menswear retailer Bonobos. This transition that seems to be stores moving against the norm, does not mean that online is dying. In fact, it is exactly on the contrary. Many CEO and company managers believe that the synergy between online and offline will be the key to retail success in the near future. Hudson’s Bay Co. chief executive Jerry Storch, believes the future of retail is “all channel”. Experts agree that online retailers opening physical locations will ultimately be more successful than their competitors that are solely online. The benefit of a retail location compared to online is, put simply, tangibility. When customers see a product that tend to be more likely to buy them. The one-on-one customer service also increases retail sales. A store location demonstrates a sense of security that is difficult to match by pure online retailers due to their risk and intangibility. Stores that are able to are beginning to open a compromise of online and storefront locations to benefit their business as best as they can. The retail store front is a experience that has no true substitute, and of course, from the great Carrie Bradshaw, it's also a good workout. What we are seeing today with online stores opening physical locations is only the beginning for the future of shopping. The definition of e-commerce is become less and less definable as the markets are blending into each other. The synergy, in the end, is the best option for companies because it optimizes profit streams and benefits the company to it’s max potential.
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