SOS: Why Brick and Mortar Retail is Worth Saving

With every narrative that speaks about the rise of online retail, it hails its rise to prominence as the force of good that benefits customers immensely. For the most part this is obviously true; online shopping provides lower prices, a more convenient way to shop, and a wealth of product choices. In the midst of all this, plenty of customers do not spare a second thought to struggling brick and mortar retailers. Many feel that after years of charging...

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Retail Innovation: Tesco's Augmented Reality

Bringing together the virtual and the real seems to be stuff of science fiction just a few years ago, but innovation in various fields have shown us that the future is indeed here, that we do have the capability to create and utilize technology in a way that was not possible just ten years ago. At the moment, nobody needs innovation more than traditional brick and mortar stores. Pressed from many sides, whether that be increasing...

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Retail Innovation: IKEA's MANLAND

With all the challenges presented to traditional brick and mortar stores by online retailers, thinking outside the box is becoming a necessity rather than a nice to have. Enter IKEA, the Swedish furniture giant who is a category leader and one of the most respected corporate entities in the whole world. From creating showrooms that presented products together, having a childcare center in all their shops, and ads that are often...

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Online Shopping and Pricing

Rise of online shopping can usually be contributed to three main factors that makes online superior to traditional brick and mortar stores, which are cheaper prices, convenience, and greater product range. This article will focus on the price aspect of online shopping, how it creates unique trends in the market, and how Australian traditional retailers are fighting this aspect of online shopping.   another way to save money:...

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What They Say: Travis Hearn, Sales Assistant

Name: Travis Hearn.Occupation: Sales Assistant at a very well known traditional retailer.   1. Can you tell me a little bit about your retail experience? the shops you've worked at, when you started & how long you've been doing it, your responsibilities in the roles that you've been in, etc.  I have been working part-time in retail since I was about nineteen years of age, which is some eight years. My roles have varied from cashiering,...

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Showrooming: The Start of the Dark Ages?

Recently, a new dreaded word has entered the traditional retailer’s vocabulary, and that word is “Showrooming”.  It is a word used to describe a phenomenon where shoppers come into a brick and mortar store to see a product in person, and even try it out, but make the purchase online, often for a lower price. Again, this is just another instance of where traditional retailers feel that their investments are being used by their online...

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Online Vs. Traditional: Consumer Motivation

A very important aspect that retailers are always interested to know more about is the reason why people shop. Why someone would choose a red coffee machine over a silver one, or why someone would only purchase milk at a particular store. Obviously there is no single answer that will satisfy each question, but marketing literature has always been quite fascinated with consumer motivation. Motivation can be defined as “an internal and complex...

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