67 Fascinating Facts About Ecommerce vs. Brick and Mortar (Infographic)
There are pros and cons to both.
By Rose Leadem •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
While many people believe brick-and-mortar shops are doomed in today's tech-driven world, there are still a number of people who prefer this hands-on method over shopping online. In fact, offline sales are 10 times bigger than online sales in the U.S. But online shopping is growing at a significant rate. Researchers predicted a 15 percent growth in U.S. sales and total value for online shopping between 2016 and 2017, while offline only saw a 4.5 percent increase.
Related: 4 Online Marketing Tactics Brick-and-Mortar Stores Can Leverage to Thrive
There are almost as many people who prefer to shop in stores rather than online -- with 51 percent of Americans preferring ecommerce, and 49 percent preferring heading into an actual store. However, a larger portion of millennials (67 percent) prefer shopping online over offline.
The top reasons people like to shop online are being able to shop 24/7, compare prices, find sales and have a greater variety of options. Of course, for many, nothing beats in-store shopping, which offers people the ability to see an item before buying, avoid paying shipping costs and being able to talk to a sales representative.
Related: How Retailers Are Thriving Despite the Supposed Death of Their Industry
To learn more, check out Shopping.fm's infographic below.
