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Brick-and-Click

What Is Brick-and-Click?

The concept of a brick-and-click business entails selling products to consumers via several channels, one which is usually a tangible shop and the other one an e-business. The tangible location is the brick while the e-business is the click.

Principles Of Brick-and-Click Store

Whether you are running a small, mid-size, or big business, the principles tend to be the same. That said, here are some principles of a brick-and-click business.

Operational flexibility in terms of buyer preferences when it comes to purchases and deliveries;
Enhanced customer experience in multiple buyer touchpoints;
Exponential brand growth, thanks to a wider target audience.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Brick-and-Click Store

Pros of the bricks-and-click business model include:

You can reach more clients by providing in-enterprise and online channel buying experiences;
Real-time analytics from your website shop can help improve in-enterprise experiences;
Offer solutions based on consumer preferences—one can buy either online or in-enterprise.

Downsides:

Operation costs can go overboard pretty quick since you have to manage both online and tangible enterprises;
This model can be pretty daunting for new businesses due to a steep learning curve;
Requires more time and commitment before the model eventually becomes successful in terms of profitability.

What Is An Example Of A Brick-and-Click Store?

There are various companies that mimic the characteristics of a brick-and-click business. A good example is Walmart. The retailer originally started as a brick-and-mortar shop but not but now supports purchases through its e-business. Typically, clients can order goods online and have them delivered at their preferred tangible outlet.

Other brick-and-click companies examples include Whole Foods and Target.

How To Implement The Brick-and-Click Model

Typically, implementing this business model depends on your industry and overall business strategy. Nonetheless, here are some tips to help you get started:

Use an innovative point of sale (POS) system that seamlessly integrates your eCommerce site with your tangible enterprise;
Keep a consistent inventory both online and offline to enhance the customer experience;
Optimize your shipping and returns policies for both online and in-enterprise deliveries;
Optimize your eCommerce site to be mobile-responsive;
Enhance customer engagement across all touchpoints to drive brand loyalty.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Brick-and-Click

What is the difference between brick-and-mortar and click-and-mortar?

Brick-and-mortar shops only sell products to clients who visit their tangible retail enterprises. On the other hand, click-and-mortar businesses allow clients to place their orders online and have the same delivered to the closed tangible enterprise of the same brand.

What is a clicks-to-bricks strategy?

As the name suggests, this strategy involves driving your e-business traffic (clicks) to your tangible retail enterprises (bricks). Typically, a buyer gets redirected to your website from various marketing channels, they place an order, pay for it, and pick the item from a physical retail store near their location.

What's the future of clicks-to-bricks?

Well, the brick-and-click business concept is the future of the retail industry. You can borrow inspiration from Walmart. The eCommerce giant is responding to developing consumer needs that involve shopping online and picking the items in physical stores on the same day. This trend will be popular in highly perishable eCommerce goods, such as groceries.

What is the role of PIM in a brick-and-click business?

PIM software features can help brick-and-click businesses by enhancing customer experience. Also, businesses may enjoy higher conversion rates, lower costs and returns, and full control of content and its quality. PIM features can also help brick-and-click businesses manage product data across multiple sales channels, streamline product management, as well improve product distribution.