Why 2018 Will Be The Year Of Brick-And-Mortar Retail

We tend to focus on the consistent increases in online shopping as opposed to in-store purchases. But for retail brands, it’s not a zero-sum game, where online sales directly decrease in-store sales. In fact, online behavior often supports brick-and-mortar sales in the form of product research and store location lookup. This online-to-offline sales pattern is one reason why Location3 CEO Alex Porter says 2018 will be the year of brick-and-mortar retail.

In a post from Total Retail, Porter shares how online user activity translates to offline purchases. Here’s an excerpt from the post:

“…users continue to become more savvy in their research for products and services. While an initial, research-oriented search may begin in an online environment, if your brick-and-mortar location leverages its online presence effectively (organic search, paid media, social media, website content, and more), you can ultimately convert that researching consumer into a paying customer in-store.”

For more analysis, including why consumers still value the in-person shopping experience and how online giant Amazon is ramping up its brick-and-mortar presence, the full post can be read here.