The New Retail Experience: Merging Touchpoints For Success

On a daily basis, readers are inundated with headlines about the impending “retail apocalypse” that brings with it dwindling foot traffic, store closures and the ultimate elimination of brick-and-mortar shopping. And though this might hold true for some legacy brands that have overextended their footprint throughout the years, it remains an unlikely scenario for the broader market. The rise of e-commerce and m-commerce are challenging traditional retailers and changing consumer preferences. But because many people still prefer to shop at brick-and-mortar stores in some capacity, the physical channel will never fully disappear. This leaves brands an opportunity to better merge the online and offline experiences to meet these new preferences and find success at every touchpoint. Before the advent of e-commerce, brick-and-mortar was the single channel for shoppers to fulfill their needs. Brands expanded rapidly as sales warranted more locations with larger square footage, and shoppers grew accustomed to endless options on every corner. But e-commerce brought with it the ability to purchase without ever leaving the couch, causing a momentous shift in physical store sales. What we’re seeing now from brands is the “rightsizing” of their physical spaces as they attempt to turn their liabilities back into assets. Read more at Forbes.