Soccerdad1995 wrote:Personally, I think that all retailers have a limited future as people get more and more comfortable buying things online. A brick and mortar location is just not going to be able to compete with the cost structure and economies of scale that an online retailer brings to the game. Companies that produce things will either sell directly to their consumer, or through large online retailers like Amazon.
To survive, a B&M retailer needs to offer something that a consumer cannot get online. But the opportunity to handle the product isn't enough. Consumers will visit the store to see the product and will then buy it online to save a few bucks. They need to find a more "sticky" value proposition.
The problem with this is that soon we may not have the Brick & Mortar storefront around to handle products.
Support your local retail outlet. The may be a bit more, but they are providing jobs and service other than "Press 1 for customer service..."