New York, NY, May 8, 2024 – “Store owners once saw e-commerce as a growing threat to their survival. Now, more brick-and-mortar stores are combining their facilities with online shopping. It is thriving by integrating experiences.” Wall Street Journal.
“Shoppers browse to see, touch, and try on products before ordering online. They pick up or return purchases in-store. is increasingly relying on its stores as fulfillment hubs, shipping online orders from store inventory rooms as well as warehouses.
“Overall, nearly 42% of e-commerce orders last year came from stores, up from about 27% in 2015, according to research firm GlobalData.
“There was a theory that, 'As online grows, stores will become less important.' But it hasn't worked out that way,” said Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData. . “In many ways, the store remains the center or center of retail.”
“This is another example of the limitations of online-only retail and why brick-and-mortar stores are making a comeback. Years of overconstruction have led to After suffering a sharp contraction, retailers are opening more stores than closing them for the third year in a row in 2024.
“Many retailers have found that without a brick-and-mortar store, it is too expensive and difficult to attract and retain customers. This helps reduce shipping costs, packaging costs, and shipping costs.
“Large retailers realized that returns for items purchased online were more expensive and digital sales were less profitable, so they built in-store fulfillment operations and infrastructure for in-store pick-up and returns even before the pandemic. I started doing it.
“The companies say Kohl's currently fulfills more than a third of its online orders in its stores, Walmart more than half and Target nearly all sales from its network of about 2,000 stores.
“The pandemic has accelerated the integration of online and in-store shopping as mandated business closures and infectious disease concerns have forced retailers to offer curbside and pickup services,” Sanders said. . Many customers now expect these options, and they can often save on shipping costs and get their sunscreen or dish detergent faster than waiting for delivery. ”
