Online v Offline: the wheel comes full circle

In the first flush of the dot-com era it was widely predicted that online retailers would put brick-and-mortar stores out of business; with rent to pay, utility bills and monthly salaries eating into their gross margins and an ever growing number of consumers opting to do their shopping online, traditional retailers thought their days were numbered.

These fears were unfounded. Online saturation and the efforts made by brick-and-mortar retailers to create more enticing environments tempted shoppers back in their droves. Apple led the charge with its sleek stores offering tech-support, seminars and group discussions, all of which add value to its products, and couldn’t easily be replicated by an online merchant.

Today, the focus is shifting once again. Astronomical rates are squeezing the surviving high street retailers even harder and they’ve reacting by moving in on the space traditionally occupied by e-tailers. Marks & Spencer, following hard on the heels of rival Next, have launched their own online TV channel broadcasting short videos that range from interviews with designers to wine tasting advice, ads and consumer vox pops. The adoption of M&S and other high street retailers of rich online content is key their growth strategy, helping to build stronger relationships with customers and communicate product and range more effectively.

Online v Offline: the wheel comes full circle

Job Search

Featured Clients