Has E-commerce had a Negative impact on traditional brick-and-mortar retail business?

Eagle's Eye
5 min readSep 26, 2023

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The impact of e-commerce on traditional retail enterprises has been massive and far-reaching.

With the rise of the net and technological improvements, e-commerce has gained tremendous popularity as a handy and handy way of buying and promoting items and offerings.

This shift in client conduct has provided both blessings and demanding situations for classic retail groups.

E-commerce has experienced exponential growth over the years. Factors, consisting of the increasing occurrence of smartphones, advanced net connectivity, and converting purchaser possibilities have contributed to its upward push.

Online marketplaces and dedicated e-trade websites have emerged as major gamers within the global retail industry. Companies, like Amazon, Alibaba, and eBay have transformed the way humans keep, creating surprisingly aggressive surroundings for classic retailers.

For instance, A conventional retail apparel keep that has been working for many years comes to a decision to embrace e-commerce to reach a much broader audience.

They set up an internet shop wherein clients can browse their product catalogs, make purchases, and feature the objects introduced to their doorstep.

Global E-Commerce Growth Rate:

The global e-commerce growth rate for 2023 is forecast at 8.9%, bringing global e-commerce sales worldwide to $5.8 trillion.

Image Source: E-marketer

According to specialists’ forecasts, international E-commerce sales growth is set to maintain, and at a exceedingly steady tempo.

E-commerce’s boom fee global is anticipated at 9.4% in 2024, earlier than decelerating slightly to eight.6% in 2025. The increased fee is ready to keep steady in 2026 at 8.6%, which allows you to carry general e-commerce sales to $7.Five trillion.

In 2027, the international e-commerce income boom is anticipated at 7.6% as universal income surpasses $eight trillion for the very first time.

From 2023 to 2027, the biggest annual E-commerce income growth is forecast to take region in 2024, and the smallest in 2027. Experts predict that during this era, total sales will boom through $2.3 trillion. This is an overall upward push of 38.9% and marks a median annual growth rate of 8.6%.

Image Source: Statista

In Europe, this is set to grow a little slower at 47%. China, the country with the highest amount of e-commerce sales, is expected to see its online retail sector grow by 15% during this period. Analysts credit the relatively slow rate in China to the fact that the country’s peak in online shopping growth had already come in previous years.

In comparison, the rest of the world is forecast to see an increase of 52% in online sales from just over $1 trillion in 2022 to $1.5 trillion in 2025.

Impact of E-commerce on traditional brick-and-mortar Shops

E-commerce has had a major effect on traditional brick-and-mortar shops. Online purchasing has been an increasing number of famous customers in recent years.

Due to rising contention from e-commerce, traditional merchants are being forced to conform and innovate.

Less foot traffic has resulted from a dramatic decrease in the range of customers visiting conventional shops. In this case, this in the end results in store closures. Extreme strategies ought to be developed via traditional shops to store their commercial enterprise.

1. Increasing Competition:

Traditional retail companies face extreme competition from diverse resources, including online retailers, e-commerce systems, and large container stores.

These competitions often offer a wide variety of products, aggressive pricing, and handy buying experiences, attracting clients away from conventional brick-and-mortar stores.

For instance, A local bookstore faces opposition from online stores like Amazon, which offers a large selection of books at aggressive expenses. Many clients pick out the benefit of online shopping and choose virtual books or e-books in place of traveling the bodily shop.

2. Comparing Product Options:

In comparison to traditional enterprise, e-commerce affords clients a huge range of alternatives at the same time as shopping. It offers the customers the possibility to test out the merchandise and concurrently evaluate comparable merchandise on distinct websites.

Image credit: iStock

By doing so, e-commerce also helps clients in comparing prices which isn’t always a smooth process in traditional business. Therefore, customers shift from conventional commercial enterprises in the direction of e-commerce.

For instance, it is easy to examine clothes and their costs (such as discounts) on specific websites like Flipkart, Amazon, Myntra, and so forth., then to visit a physical market and look for garments at exclusive stores.

3. Changing Consumer Behavior:

The shift in patron behavior toward online shopping and virtual experiences has posed a massive undertaking for classic retail groups. Today, clients an increasing number of prefer the convenience of shopping from their homes, evaluating costs online, and having merchandise brought to their doorstep.

For instance, a traditional apparel store faces demanding situations as more clients favor browsing and buying garments through online structures.

Consumers can easily evaluate costs, read consumer evaluations, and order clothes without leaving their houses, reducing foot visitors to bodily stores.

4. Opportunities for Integration:

Besides the terrible effects, e-commerce has additionally given conventional groups some possibilities. It consists of integration among the online and offline channels.

With e-commerce, conventional outlets have correctly developed omnichannel strategies permitting their customers to keep online and select products in-store or to reserve the product online, after which go back to them (if required) at the physical shop. Examples of agencies that use omnichannel strategy include Decathlon, H&M, and so forth.

5. Changes in Supply Chain:

With the rise in e-commerce, there were several adjustments inside the delivery chain. This is because shops have had to adapt to the extended demand for green and fast shipping. This alternate within the supply chain has led to new logistics and achievement challenges for classic shops.

In the end, customers favor e-commerce over traditional stores owing to its ease of use, availability, wide range of products, price comparison, customization, & social influence. Traditional shops must take drastic measures in order to stay in business. But why haven’t the old brick-and-mortar places vanished? Because there is still an appetite for and desire for them. No substitute exists for the sensations of touch and feel. As the blue screen of eCommerce is unable to provide this feel, traditional retailers remain superior.

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Eagle's Eye
Eagle's Eye

Written by Eagle's Eye

Content writer & Research writer

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