In recent years, with the continuous development of Internet technology, more and more people have begun to shop online, while physical store sales have gradually declined. According to the survey, more than 60% of physical stores may close down in the next few years.
So, what is the cause of this phenomenon? First of all, online shopping has a price advantage. Compared with the higher operating costs of physical store rent, decoration, staff and other expenses, online merchants can save a lot of expenses and adopt some price strategies to attract consumers to buy.
Secondly, online payment methods are also one of the important reasons why people choose online shopping. Online payments are convenient and secure, and there is no need to carry large amounts of cash or cards to go out shopping. It has been widely used and promoted during the epidemic.
In addition, online merchants have a broader market reach and the ability to tailor products and services more precisely to consumer needs. At the same time, online merchants also have many advantages, such as updating and iterating products and services more quickly, and responding to consumer feedback in a timely manner to stay competitive.
But we can't ignore some of the problems of brick-and-mortar stores: lack of innovation, complex surroundings, poor management, and so on. In fact, many companies do not really realize that the Internet has been eliminated before the impact of the traditional retail model.
However, brick-and-mortar stores are not completely antithetical to e-commerce. In some cases, the two forms can complement each other. For example, brick-and-mortar stores can enhance their brand influence in the minds of customers by opening electronic platforms such as WeChat/Taobao mini programs; Similarly, the online industry can also enter the community to reach customers directly by expanding offline stores (such as Jingdong community service stations).
In summary, with the rapid changes in the market environment, the brick-and-mortar retail industry must transform and upgrade to adapt to the changes in today's market demand, such as increasing digital operation capabilities, improving user comfort, and providing personalized services. In addition, it is also necessary to pay attention to the innovation of corporate culture, concept orientation and building its own brand image. Only in this way can you survive the fierce competition and lay the foundation for the future.