Study: Bricks-and-Mortar Still Essential

A recently published study from A.T. Kearney Co. (Chicago) found that even as retailers leverage resources in digital and electronic marketing, physical stores remain key in purchasing decisions.

In the 2500-participant Omnichannel Shopping Preferences Study, two-thirds of shoppers who made purchases online visited a store before or after the transaction, making the store crucial in converting the sale and overall brand building. The study found that 55 percent those surveyed preferred to use both stores and electronic channels throughout each stage of the shopping “journey”: discovery, trial and test, purchase, delivery or pickup and returns.

Michael Brown, A.T. Kearney partner and study co-author writes, “A strategy based on leveraging the appeal of the physical store supported by digital is the best formula for capturing the maximum number of sales, building sustainable customer loyalty, and creating opportunities to cross-sell.”