Can you believe it – Brick and Mortar is back!

In the age of all things online and social, this traditional experience is making a comeback. I have written a lot about making sure that businesses don’t forget about the offline experience but let’s take it up a notch.

Offline is on trend to becoming the new online! Why? Because brick and mortar is back but it is back with a difference. The difference being – it is bringing online with it. One great example is Amazon. This well-known online brand who has set the tone for online shopping has taken a giant leap back to where everyone else is moving away from.  So what are they going to do that is so different?

Well they are already doing it. Amazon has opened its beautiful Amazon Books store in Seattle and the clever thing is, they are combining both the offline experience with the online experience. They know what works online – data. And they are giving this data to the visiting shopper. You will still get the online ratings and you are promised the online price. They want to use this data but they want to combine it with what people still yearn – the human connection, that personal physical connection.

Online should learn from offline. Offline should learn from online. So, retailers should embrace technology and bring the online experience to their customers. Online stores should think about the lack of connection.

An interesting point to note – sales for the physical book are rising again. If you ask me why this is – I believe it is because people like the experience of reading a physical book. Experience always plays a major role.

Live your brand,

Gillian