You may recall our recent blog on the incredible versatility afforded to modern small businesses by a blend of brick-and-mortar accessibility and e-commerce-driven ease of use.
Today on the Merchant Advance Blog, it seems relevant to highlight a recent post made over at the venerable New York Times Small Business column by contributor Darren Dahl (@darren_dahl) which expands this discussion even further.
As the column illustrates:
“It’s hard to support both retail and e-commerce.... At some point there is conflict between the two, and one side suffers.”
Dahl's example, of a Boston-located jewelry store, provides an interesting new wrinkle on the idea of multifaceted small business development across "click and brick" lines, meaning digital and brick-and-mortar respectively. In the case study, the brick and mortar jeweler joins forces with a large-format web-based seller, a sort of Amazon for shiny trinkets, to offer a wider range of products with the personalized customer service that comes from engagement with real human beings. The symbiosis achieved is unique as far as this blog's current research on the subject of integration between online and real-space retail commerce.
What is your take on the blend between digital and physical retail space? Could your business benefit from a hybrid "click and brick" model? Let us know via social media using the buttons below.
