Survey shows industry merging physical, digital retail
This year’s data reveals that 43% of store-based retailers surveyed expect a net increase in the number of brick-and-mortar stores they operate by the end of 2018 compared with 2017.
Traditional and online retailing are increasingly intertwined, as customers shop across touchpoints and use both platforms, according to the annual State of Retailing Online study released by the National Retail Federation (NRF), Washington, D.C., and Forrester, Cambridge, Mass.
“This report shows more than ever that retail is retail regardless of where a sale is made or how the product is delivered,” says Mark Mathews, vice president of research and development and industry analyst for NRF. “Products ordered online are increasingly picked up in store or shipped from a nearby store, and digital technology being used at brick-and-mortar locations lets retailers help customers find what they want or make the sale even if the product is out of stock. Traditional retailers have seen the opportunities of online selling for years now, and those selling online increasingly see that stores are part of the key to success.”