Brick and Mortar and e-tailer

755 Words2 Pages

E-tailing is the online sales of goods or services while brick-and-mortar businesses are those that operate in the physical market such as department stores, business offices etc. According to Ed Brindley, the director of marketing at Wincor Nixdorf,” brick and mortar will always be vital. The key is to make such technology advances simply part of the shopping experience and part of the retail boom”, (BestMark, 2012). Purchasing items online has become a convenience for many customers as well as the fact that most online stores offer lower prices. However brick and mortar stores can use technology to compete against e-tailers. It is seen where a Point of Sale (POS) system has transformed the check out process and inventory control system in businesses. This has resulted in real time tracking of goods which provide retailers with information regarding the stock level and when a re-order needs to be done. A POS system also allows faster check out process for customers resulting in an increase in customer satisfaction. However this is now even more efficient as customers are able to conduct the check-out process themselves which saves time and labor costs. Another technology which can be used by brick-and-mortar businesses are RFID. Very soon most items will be equipped with RFID tags. This will eliminate the need to scan items and the total cost of all the items in a shopping cart can be scanned within seconds. Technology will transform the way brick-and-mortar business carry out their daily transactions. Brick-and-mortar businesses can use these technologies and the behavior of consumers to enhance their business. Customers are used to shopping online therefore businesses should give them the opportunity to shop online even at the... ... middle of paper ... ...m/stories/2008-08-21/business-and-startups-in-second-life Thomas, N. K. (2011, April 9). What Is E-Commerce and M-Commerce? Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Is-E-Commerce-and-M-Commerce?&id=6193761 Tiffany, L. (2007, January 8). tarting a Second Life Business. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/172768 Valacich, J., & Schneider, C. (2010). Information Systems Today Managing in the Digital World (4th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Wagner, D. (2011, November 1). The Brick & Mortar Retail Store of the Future. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.enterpriseefficiency.com/author.asp?section_id=1151&doc_id=235188&piddl_msgpage=2#msgs Wagner, M. (2007, September 21). The Future Of Virtual Worlds. Retrieved March 7, 2014, from http://www.informationweek.com/desktop/the-future-of-virtual-worlds/d/d-id/1059501

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