2. Convenience
Online stores are as convenient as shopping can get. Consumers can shop using any connected device, and there’s no limit as to when or where they can shop. While most online stores only ship products during a set timeframe (i.e., when the post office is open), online stores allow customers to shop when they want.
Brick and mortar stores are much less convenient. Not only are shoppers limited to when they can shop based on store hours, but there are also tons of other inconveniences, including:
- Travel time to get to the store
- Long checkout lines
- Crowds
Because of the inconveniences that brick and mortar stores present, it’s no surprise that 76% of U.S. consumers shop online.
3. Product Availability
Product availability can be hit or miss in both online and brick and mortar stores. The biggest difference is that online stores are often much better at notifying shoppers when a certain product will be back in stock. Most online retailers provide a restocking date or allow consumers to sign up for an alert when the product is back in stock.
Getting product availability information at a brick and mortar store can be much more difficult. Sales representatives are often unable to tell customers when an item will be back in stock.
Another sticking point with product availability in a traditional store is that customers may travel to the store only to find that the product they wanted is out of stock. This can be frustrating and extremely inconvenient for shopping.
