Consumers sometimes judge the core characteristics and qualities of a brand based solely on the brand’s

ecommerce presence — the landing page is the new storefront window display.

Retail stores now connect to ecommerce stores.

For retail businesses with brick-and-mortar locations, seamless integration between physical and digital
inventory is now essential. Practically speaking, there is only so much inventory that any physical store
can stock. When sales associates are empowered by a robust ecommerce platform to access digital
inventory in real time, they can recover customers’ interest before losing a sale, and set up flexible
shipping and returns. This makes for omni-channel customer experiences that cross physical and digital
lines. A 71% majority of shoppers now even browse on their phones while in stores, comparing prices
and reading reviews to find the best value.

It is unlikely that physical retail will ever be fully eclipsed by ecommerce — but the lines between the
two are now blurring, and their roles are shifting. After all, in a reversal of previous tradition, many
brands now find success online before ever opening physical retail locations or pop-up shops. Brick-and-
mortar stores will probably always play some part in customer journeys, as places shoppers can go to
experience products firsthand before making a final purchase online.