Are we looking at the end of the tried and true brick and mortar style store? With online shopping growing at an exponential rate, this question has a lot of store owners feeling the heat from the growth of e-commerce.  Over the course of 2015, e-commerce sites saw an incredible growth rate of 23 percent. Of course, Amazon is the reigning champ when it comes to online sales, making up 26 percent of all online transactions.

E-commerce sites saw an incredible growth rate of 23 percent

While it might seem like a predictable future, it’s not a good bet to count out the traditional store front just yet. According to the Harvard Business Review, it might have something to do with Omnichannel marketing. A study conducted by HBR, found that only 7 percent of shoppers did business solely online. 20 percent only went to the actual store, which leaves the remaining 73 percent somewhere in between. These are the omnichannel shoppers.

The Store with More (Logistics)

Omnichannel shopping has been giving brick and mortar stores a considerable edge when it comes to their completely digital counterparts. So much so that even e-commerce giant Amazon, is in the process of building their own stores to provide their customers with a more comprehensive shopping solution. The idea behind it is simple. Offer more technologically based solutions to fit your customers needs, making it easier for them to shop, compare prices, and get what they need, when and how they need it.

E-commerce giant Amazon, is in the process of building their own stores

While providing the digital platforms for customers is fairly straightforward, building the logistical groundwork to support it might not be so easy. Fortunately, this also means a lot of opportunity for 3PLs and freight forwarders, so long as they know what they’re looking for. 

Last Mile Deliveries are Taking Off

Last mile deliveries have been a hot topic for quite some time, especially as Amazon continues to push the envelope with their near instantaneous, same-day deliveries. While that certainly sets the bar fairly high for companies who are looking to delve into the omnichannel marketplace, it does mean that there is a good deal of infrastructure in place to compensate.

Last mile deliveries have been a hot topic for quite some time

3PLs and a number of other forwarders, such as DHL, are looking into drone technology to expedite the last mile delivery process. There’s also the idea of tapping into already existing systems such as Uber for package deliveries that can help give potential omnichannel stores a leg up as they begin to build up their market.

Omnichannel stores will have a significant advantage over stores who don’t embrace the technology

All in all, omnichannel stores will have a significant advantage over stores who don’t embrace the technology, a must in this challenging market place that is currently undergoing its own renaissance period of growth. However, in order for these stores to be successful, they’ll have to get their logistics in check, or risk losing their client base.