The Future of Brick-and-Mortar Stores

However, the real question is whether online shopping will replace brick-and-mortar stores. We can already see it’s happening in high streets all over the world. As more and more companies go online, and more and more startups appear in the ecommerce industry, some shops on the high streets have already started to close.

On a daily basis, online sales are rapidly accelerating, but there are still things that high street shopping can provide which online shopping cannot. For example, some people prefer a more tactile shopping experience, where they get a chance to physically see and feel the goods that they may potentially purchase. Others prefer to make the shopping trip to a high street or mall a whole shopping experience, where they meet up with friends and family.

It seems though, that online stores are doing their best to combat these issues they were previously not able to offer. Many online clothes stores now give free shipping and return options, so customers are still able to try on their purchases and send them back if they don’t fit.

Lots of brands are also using social media sites to sell and promote goods, giving a much more social element to the shopping experience, something that would never have been previously possible.

In this infographic, Shopping.fm provides you with great insight into the many pros and cons of online and offline shopping and what the future looks like for retail companies around the globe. Although in the USA the offline sales in the country are still 10 times bigger than the online sales, the online shopping business is growing 3 times faster. Surely it is only a matter of time before one overtakes the other?

The reasons behind this are simple - online shopping can save people time, fuel, and energy. Often, you get the chance to compare prices of multiple products, have 24/7 availability, access to discounts and deals, etc. but only time will tell just what the future holds for the brick-and-mortar stores of the world.