Skip to main content

Physical vs Digital Retailers: Is one the death of the other?

When online stores started becoming a more popular way to shop, pundits predicted the death of all brick-and-mortar stores. Here we are, more than a decade later, and we still have retail stores. There are some brick-and-mortar retailers that became giants on-line and there are some on-line brands that have opened a physical store.











Some of the brands that opted to start online and then get physical are listed below and they have become even more popular because of their brick-and-mortar store.

1) Warby Parker
2) Amazon
3) Beta Brand
4) Everlane
5) Athleta
6) Piperlime
7) Bauble Bar









There are other physical retailers that offer a a great online shopping experience as well:

1) Best Buy
2) Macy's
3) Target
4) Anthropologie
6) GAP
7) Urban Outfitters

Advantages of a Physical Store:
• Customers are able to interact with products
• Sales people can provide one-on-one information
• No shipping fees
• Instant gratification

Advantages of an Online Store:
• Less time consuming for customers
• Easier to search for items
• Quicker cost comparisons
• It is open 24/7

So, to go back to my original question, is one the death of another as it was once predicted? Clearly we can say no based on the fact that brands have embraced both options. However, brick-and-mortar stores have had to adapt to the changing retail landscape. Shopping in stores can be time consuming so they need to make it more entertaining and well merchandised. Also the sales staff has to be top notch and offer outstanding customer services.

There are some items that lend themselves to be purchased online more easily. Most of these products don't require customer interaction or it is a repeat purchase. However, there are some products that need to be touched and experienced. My guess is Warby Parker realized this and knew they could increase their popularity and brand awareness with a physical retail space. This means that retailers and brands need to offer both options and excel at both. It is great for consumers but retailers need to stay on top of changing trends both on-line and in-store.
 
Patty Jensen is Vice President of Account Services at JDA Inc, a graphic design firm that specializes in supporting companies' branding and retail efforts with a Unified Marketing approach. To learn more, click here.

Comments

Steve Berke said…
I think this article will fully complement you article. PLease continue publishing helpful topics like this. Regards, from Always Open Commerce.

Popular posts from this blog

Packaging: 10 Steps to a Better Process

1. Prioritize. Prioritize. Prioritize. When three people are talking to you, you can’t hear them all. The same is true for design. Visual priority must be established from the very beginning of the design process. If every item is given primary importance, nothing becomes important. The visual priorities are what drive how all creative will be judged. The design firm should include as part of their creative brief, a hierarchy of 5 communication points for the front of the package. This includes 1) brand 2) product name 3) why-to-buy statement 4) feature points 5) product image. 2. Come together. Everyone has an opinion, so clear project objectives are vital to any job. Consensus regarding the creative brief must be obtained from the people expected to judge the package design from within your corporation. Without this consensus, the design process will fall apart. Without clearly stated, agreed-upon objectives, you are not able to provide constructive feedback. As soon as you start t

Let Your Packaging Sell Your Product, Not a Funny Name!

So I ran across this product while I was traveling in NY and needed some earplugs.  I can't sleep without them. Earplugs are notoriously hard to find on shelf so I had to scan many products. I came across this product and got quite a chuckle. I don't think I need to explain why (To be fair, it was awhile ago, and the package design could have changed since then.): Zim's Crack Creme---we can assume that Zim is the pharmacist who created this all-natural herbal wonder cream (creme) for your crack. Or is that really what this means. Surly it couldn't. We design packaging and I couldn't help but analyze this package as I would for a client. The first thing we help our clients do is to prioritize the elements on the front of the package. What is the most important thing to communicate? The name? The brand? The why-to-buy? The features? Obviously, Zim felt the name of the product was most important. But if the name of the product doesn't really convey what it doe

New and Not Necessarily Improved

A story in the March 3, 2009 issue of the LA Times regarding the unfavorably received new Pepsi brand redesign reminded me of another recent unsuccessful redesign—the one for Tropicana orange juice. A few months ago, I was in a Target store buying some orange juice. I usually get the Tropicana brand, and was disappointed when I didn't see any in the cases. I just saw a bunch of unfamiliar cartons that I immediately wrote off as "not Tropicana" and kept looking around. It was only during a second pass that I realized that these new cartons were indeed Tropicana. Wow, I thought, that's a pretty radical new look. Gone were any vestiges of familiarity--the funky old-style logo, and especially the orange with the straw stuck in it. The new carton is dominated by a large shot of a tasteful-looking (not necessarily tasty-looking) glass of orange juice, with the word "Tropicana" in an unfamiliar sans serif font and green color turned 90ยบ clockwise along the side. T