Despite perceptions to the contrary, on a global basis, the brick-and-mortar store is not fading away in the face of online and mobile shopping — as long as such stores are committed to customers and adaptive to the times.
eMarketer reports that:
“One online channel gave brick-and-mortar shops a run for their money. Digital buying via PC ranked second, with the majority of respondents purchasing there at least monthly. However, all other digital channels were used far less frequently for purchasing. For example, fewer than one-quarter purchased products via mobile phone or smartphone at least monthly — providing more evidence that mobile is still mostly for upper-funnel shopping activities — and despite the fact that tablet users often show similar behavior to PC shoppers, buying frequency was almost the same as that on phones.”
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I think every thing need process to develop and so do people. They need time to adapt consumption mode and compare which one is easy for them. I think Brick and Mortar will be stay for a long time because there are still more people need them. It is like post office, even email is popular between businessmen. But they still need paper to communicate each other. Online marketing is not so secure than we think because most people still focus on their money security and product reality. It is for long time for people to accept credit card. I think in the future teenager will often use online shopping. However, a good thing we could know is that more and more did use online shopping one time. The first time will brings the second time. So we will see.
I personally like shopping in brick and mortar stores. I feel that if I have a problem with something I buy I can walk back in to the store and talk to someone and show them. Also many times a buy a warranty or protection plan that allows me to walk in with a broken product and walk out with a new one in minutes. It just takes to long to wait for a package in the mail sometimes. Returning things is also a little risky through the mail. You never know what things can happen in the mailing system. At least with a store you feel safer that there is a place that you can physically go to.
Im split between ordering online and going to a physical store. In most cases i will go to the store to see the item in person. However if i do not need it that very second, i end up going home and ordering the product from ebay or amazon. More often then not it is less expensive. I will also order online if the item im buying is very large. Just recently i order a new tv from amazon because i wouldnt have been able to fit it in my car and delivery from pc richards wouldve cost $100. Now, most people would think twice when ordering an expensive and very delicate item online, but nowadays every large corporation such as amazon and even credit card companies protect you and will deliver the item as described.
I find that people will buy online more often, because it is so convenient. Although you cant see the physical product, it is so easy to simple find a shirt or any item on amazon, have your credit card ready and just buy the item. However, when an item is expensive i will want to see it in a person because it becomes complicated to return items when they are bought online.
I myself like to see everything to shopping in the store is best for me. To me, I need to see the item and feel it. I need to make sure the item is what I want. If I order online I cannot feel the items and physically see them I can only see what they look like through a screen. Also in a majority base many people like to order on cheaper websites such as amazon and ebay. They basically have everything and are relatively cheap. However, there are the customers who like to see and feel each and every item, like me. However, when many people buy luxury items they usually like to go to the store and see the item, but now many credit cad companies protect you and will deliver as described.
Online shopping is much more convenient than traveling all the way to a store and the product not even be there. Online you can compare all the prices and look at all the options you have. In a store, you do not have that luxury and you cannot add promotional codes that you find off the internet on websites like retailmenot.com because most likely the store won’t accept them. It is surprising to me that the physical store is still the most popular purchase location. In the future, I do not believe that stores will be around and everything will be online because it comes quick and there is more to choice from. And most of all, people are lazy and do not want to waste their time driving 30 minutes to a mall when they can open their laptop.
Purchases made in person tend to be better purchases, in general. While making the effort to go out to the brick and mortar store, odds are that one has weighted the true need and benefit of the product. By seeing the product in person, you can directly comparison shop between related product and make a reliable and well thought decision. With online purchases, many just see the product and click to purchase. Very little amount of consideration goes into the purchase of the particular product due to the simplicity of the purchasing process. Brick and mortar will remain popular and in business for a while.
I feel as though this could be a generational thing in years to come. I find myself buying more and more online because of sheer convenience and I have become accustomed to doing nearly everything over the internet whereas my parents are a lot more hesitant. I still choose to go to a grocery store to purchase food, because I like to have some control over quality. As for clothing, I do like to shop in store for that ability to see it in person and try it on, but online shopping has become such an ease with return policies, the risk is much lower than it used to be.
I am truly not surprised that brick-and-mortar stores are alive and well. There are numerous benefits to shopping at a brick-and-mortar store and to explain one, look at Best Buy. Not only do they take the hassle out of shopping because you have someone physically there to help you, but they price match Amazon. The employees there are not only going to provide you with one-on-one assistance, but they will also give you the best price. It is companies like Best But that I can make the comment that it is going to take a lot more than online shopping to kill brick-and-mortar stores.
I think brick-and-mortar stores will never fade away, because there are always people in the world who can only do some things in the physical store itself. Some people, including myself, like to try things to feel for it, like shoes, there is no universal size, an size 7 in one brand, can be a size 9 in another brand. We like the feeling of trying shoes to know what feels right and what feels tight. Same with electronics or large purchases, we want to test what the product does and what makes it different from other products. We are a perception and sensation species who are mostly contempt in what they can understand and physically experience.