Suzanne Kapner of The Wall Street Journal reports that E-commerce has worsened the in-store shopping experience, with stores often understaffed and out of stock. Only 9% of online women’s clothing is available in physical stores. While some retailers, like Nordstrom, offer good service, most struggle with inventory issues. Consumers are frustrated by limited selection and availability, despite preferring in-store shopping. Kapner writes:
E-commerce didn’t kill bricks-and-mortar stores, but it made them worse. Much worse.
Physical stores today are understaffed and full of inconveniences such as locked shelves and self–checkout lines. Now, add one more gripe to the list: not enough stuff.
If you have ever trekked to a store only to be told the item you are looking for is out of stock but can be ordered online, you aren’t alone. The practice is so common that retailers have a name for it. […]
The consulting firm AlixPartners studied 30 retailers and found that on average only 9% of their online women’s clothing assortment was available in physical stores. For department stores, the percentage was 7%, and at mass merchants it was 2%. Specialty retailers fared better, with a third of their online goods available in stores. […]
There are, of course, standouts who have managed to keep shopping fun. Luxury brands such as Hermès dazzle shoppers with their flagship stores. Nordstrom is still known for superior service. And customers love hunting through the racks at T.J. Maxx looking for a deal.
But when it comes to the stockroom, even the best stores can’t keep up with the internet.[…]
A Zara spokeswoman said shoppers can check in-store availability online and ask salespeople to ship most items to a store.
Carlos chose a different option. She left empty-handed.
Read more here.
