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Should Online Retailers Open Neighborhood Shops?
(Note: companies that
could be impacted by the content of this article are listed at the base of the
story [desktop version]. This article uses third-party references to provide a
bullish, bearish, and balanced point of view; sources are listed after the
Balanced section.)
E-commerce shopping has experienced a steady increase in customer count and online sales each year since before the turn of the millennium. All U.S. Retail sales now add to $5.4 trillion in economic activity. Currently, 11.2% of these sales are from online purchases. Despite digital retailers being able to attract more sales each year, there is a growing trend from “clicks to bricks.” Stores that have historically existed only as cyber shops are now appearing on Main Street, complete with signage, stock clerks, and in most cases, cashiers. Internet retail is still a disruptive technology, does it make sense for successful online stores to also develop a presence as a more traditional retail outlet?