Top 10 Tips: Will eCommerce Dominate Physical Stores?
As is revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, with smartphones and mobile data plans being more affordable than ever, more and more people have got access to eCommerce. The question that now begs is if eCommerce will dominate physical stores. This article, with the help of the subject matter experts over at guttulus.com, will attempt to tackle this question by providing 10 tips, both for and against the argument that eCommerce will dominate physical stores.
FOR
Save costs
One of the reasons why eCommerce may dominate physical stores is the fact that an eCommerce store requires less capital investment and gas got less operation costs and as such they can grow faster and generate more profit as is covered over at runrex.com. The fact that it is a lot cheaper to build and eCommerce website as compared to finding and renting a physical shop, not to mention the additional bills that come with running a physical store like electricity bills among others discussed over at guttulus.com, is one of the reasons why eCommerce may dominate physical stores.
Convenience
Yet another reason why eCommerce may be set to dominate physical stores is due to the convenience that comes with shopping online. As is revealed in discussions on the same over at runrex.com, with eCommerce one can search for and purchase products and services while in the comfort of their home. Online stores are also open 24/7 for 365 days a year, adding to the convenience of it all. This is one of the things eCommerce definitely has over physical stores and is one of the reasons why it may dominate.
Better customer experience
Other than convenience, there is an argument to be had that shopping online comes with a better customer experience as compared to shopping at a physical store, something the gurus over at guttulus.com agree on. The fact that you can search for whatever you are looking for, compare prices easily between stores as well as gain access to any information you may need as pertains the product or service you are looking to purchase means that the customer experience when it comes to eCommerce is a lot better than that over at physical stores.
Easier to scale
According to the gurus over at runrex.com, it is also a lot easier to scale up as far as your business is concerned when it comes to eCommerce as compared to physical stores, which is yet another tip as to why eCommerce may dominate physical stores. As per discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, scaling up when dealing with a physical store is a lot harder as you will need to consider the size of the store, and may need to look for a bigger store or open other branches when expanding your business. This is not an issue when it comes to eCommerce, and as such growth is faster and a lot easier when it comes to eCommerce.
Increased connectivity is likely to trigger even more growth
As covered over at runrex.com, about 60% of the world’s population is not connected to the internet, and if the growth of eCommerce is impressive now, imagine how much it will grow when more people get connected. This is yet another reason why there are those that think that eCommerce will eventually dominate physical stores.
AGAINST
The numbers of people shopping in physical stores remain impressive
While it is true that eCommerce is growing at a very impressive rate as is revealed in discussions on the same over at guttulus.com, one reason why there are those who don’t believe that eCommerce will dominate physical stores is the fact that the numbers as far as people shopping in brick and mortar stores remain very impressive. In fact, stats show that up to 90% of sales of retail items is still being done by physical stores, showing that physical stores are not to be underestimated.
Its still easier to return and exchange items for physical stores
One of the main drawbacks as far as eCommerce goes is that it is difficult to return and exchange faulty or unsatisfactory items once delivered, and it may take days as per the gurus over at runrex.com. This is an area where physical stores continue to have an edge as it is a lot easier to return and exchange items as all you need to do is make your way to the shop, show your purchase receipt and you will be attended to. As long as this remains the case, it will be difficult for eCommerce to dominate physical stores.
One can physically touch and try out products in physical stores
Yet another reason why there are those that are against the notion that eCommerce will dominate physical stores is the fact that in physical stores, one can be able to touch and try out products before making purchases, which is important in giving one peace of mind and convincing them to buy the item, something that is not possible as far as eCommerce is concerned as covered over at guttulus.com. You can therefore be able to try out a clothing item and see if it fits and so forth in a physical store, something that eCommerce can’t offer.
Stronger customer relations
While eCommerce comes with a bunch of great benefits as discussed in more detail over at runrex.com, one of the areas where physical stores retain the edge is when it comes to customer relations. The fact that you know the store owner and their staff, you interact with regularly and they are part of your community means that you will definitely have a strong bond with them. This is not the case in most cases for eCommerce as, due to the lack of physical contact, it can be hard to form strong bonds between store owner and customer hence why there are those that don’t believe that eCommerce will dominate physical stores.
Conversion rates remain high for physical stores
When someone visits a physical store, chances are that they will buy whatever it is that made them visit the store in the first place. The same cannot be said for online store, where cart abandonment remains a big issue as covered over at guttulus.com. The high conversion rates that physical stores have as compared to online stores is yet another reason why there are those who doubt the eCommerce will dominate physical stores.
While eCommerce is undoubtedly here to stay, it is safe to say that so are physical stores and as such it is difficult to conclusively say that eCommerce will dominate physical stores. If you are looking for more information on this and other related topics, then the ever reliable runrex.com is the place to visit.