Commentary

Is Mobile/Web Killing Physical Retail?

Just so we’re clear, few think new commerce models (m-commerce, e-commerce, Z-commerce, etc.) are threatening physical commerce.    

“I don’t think [traditional commerce] is dead by any means,” Linda Gridley, President & CEO, Gridley & Company LLC, said on an afternoon panel at OMMA Mobile. That said, “Mobile is going to make [physical retail] a more thoughtful experience.”

Similarly, Jim Hilt, VP of eBooks at Barnes & Noble, said the idea that mobile (or another new channel) is going to kill the need for physical retail is way off.

“People like to go in stores and shop,” said Jeff Sellinger, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of shopkick. “It’s not going to die.”

That said,  “There are retailers that aren’t going to make it,” Hilt said. “There are some retailers that aren’t going to make that transition.”

How can a retailer increase the likelihood that they’ll make it? Focus on the “experience,” according to Hilt. “The key is creating experiences,” … keeping in mind that most retail margins are “razor thin.”

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