integrate online and offline There is a view that online retailing will completely destroy offline retailing. I cannot see that happening. While online retailing will significantly diminish offline retailing, it will never replace it. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the growing trend towards CLICK AND COLLECT. That is, making the […]

integrate online and offline There is a view that online retailing will completely destroy offline retailing. I cannot see that happening. While online retailing will significantly diminish offline retailing, it will never replace it. There are many reasons for this, one of which is the growing trend towards CLICK AND COLLECT. That is, making the purchase online and then collecting it from the store. Click and collect is viewed by many as saving time, while avoiding delivery costs. If the collection point is on the way home, it can be nearly as convenient as home delivery. It is particularly convenient for people who are rarely at home, and need to be at home if a delivery is to occur. Research in the United Kingdom suggests that current click and collect rates of 35% will grow to 78% by 2020. In the United States, click and collect rates are already as…