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Running Head: ONLINE SHOPPING VERSUS BRICK AND MORTAR STORES
Online Shopping Versus Brick and Mortar Stores
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ONLINE SHOPPING VERSUS BRICK AND MORTAR STORES
The introduction of the online shopping technology has drastically impacted various
players, such as online shopping companies, conventional retail stores and customers. For
instance, Amazon’s marketing strategy has greatly affected the traditional retail stores. First,
with the increased use of technology, most consumers choose to go for online shopping instead
of visiting the stores. The marketing strategy also provides shoppers with a frictionless shopping
experience hence attracting the users towards the adoption of the online shopping process
(Bakos, 2017). Thus, the physical stores receive a reduced number of shoppers as compared to
the online stores.
The primary advantage of the online marketing strategy is that the process is seamless
and allows consumers to carry out the operation at a reduced time. However, the benefit of the
traditional marketing process is that the consumers are entitled to assess and make a variety of
choices before settling on a particular product. Unlike online stores, users of the local stores
cannot get products in the bad physical state which can be a possibility when shopping online.
The online shopping technology has enhanced a competitive advantage over the local
stores. However, the local stores respond to this with a variety of options. First, the local stores
can redesign their purpose and enhance the provision of better services for online shoppers.
Secondly, the brick and mortar stores can utilize their traditional commerce to analyze and track
customer behaviour hence redesigning their activities to suit consumer needs like the Nordstrom.
Lastly, the stores can leverage mobile technology to improve the services in the store
(Brynjolfsson & Smith, 2016). This can include the use of point of sale and other mobile
experiences in the store instead of having a localized entirely shopping experience.
An even playing field can be achieved for both local and online shopping stores. Here,
the online selling companies can merge with the local stores and accomplish the duties of selling
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ONLINE SHOPPING VERSUS BRICK AND MORTAR STORES
and delivering the products. For instance, the online shopping company maintains the relations
with the consumers, receives the orders and forwards the invoice to the local stores who
undertake the delivery and shipping process of e-commerce.
Amazon doesn’t only base on retail shopping but also aims at improving customer
satisfaction through a variety of technologies. Their merging efforts with other retail stores have
enhanced the local stores to feature on the online market by the use of the Amazon platform.
This doesn’t only allow logistics services but also depicts them as online marketing firms.
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ONLINE SHOPPING VERSUS BRICK AND MORTAR STORES
References
Bakos, Y. (2017). The emerging landscape for retail e-commerce. Journal of economic
perspectives, 15(1), 69-80.
Brynjolfsson, E., & Smith, M. D. (2016). Frictionless commerce? A comparison of Internet and
conventional retailers. Management science, 46(4), 563-585.
