touch screen monitors in brick and mortaar storess factory

Our industrial display touch screen monitors can help your factory personnel and workshops handle complex industrial tasks on intuitive factory grade touch screens. Our wide range of rugged LCD displays with multi-touch and various touch technologies such as resisitive, SAW, optical imaging, projected capacitive and infrared are tough and suitable for virtually any industrial applications. We can help you choose the best touch screen technology and solution that fits best with your needs, and close the gap between your vision and implementation of the digital factory.

Viewsonic"s Touch Screen Solutions helped us simplify the hassle of operating complex machinery in our factory. It really helped us improve our factory line operations and reduced labor input.”

Today’s consumers overwhelmingly expect a highly connected, interactive, and personalized shopping experience, which is the major reason why more and more stores are integrating touch screen retail displays in their stores. It’s not just a

trend too. There are tangible results from doing this that retail businesses can count on. Touch screen retail displays compel customers, garner brand loyalty, and ultimately increase revenue.

In short, digital kiosks enhance the overall shopping experience like few other things can. Not only are they the way of the future, they provide a slew of useful tools and features that will allow you to optimize your retail store.

Pretty much all retailers have come around to the fact that going digital is a must these days. But a whole lot less retailers have come around to the idea that

Think about it. What kind of brand interaction is more meaningful and lasting? A dull static poster showcasing one of your brand new products? Or a virtual 360-degree demo of, say, a new sneaker line your brand just released? The answer should be obvious.

Perhaps the most obvious use of touch screen displays in the retail sector is to streamline payments at the point-of-purchase. Digital kiosks allow shoppers to quickly and securely complete the checkout process with a variety of payment methods, including

Point-of-purchase touch screen kiosks also offer a great opportunity to upsell, inform customers of future promotions, and ask for in-store feedback about their overall shopping experience.

Put simply, smart inventory management systems can automatically take stock of your inventory, eliminating the hours your staff currently spends in the storeroom counting items and streamlining the process. When paired with a

This entails displaying your social media feeds on screens, broadcasting promotional campaigns that create social media buzz, and featuring favorable tweets or posts from customers that highlight how awesome your products are for all to see. Also, incorporating

Allowing shoppers to subscribe to loyalty programs, reward schemes, and email lists where they can receive special offers is the perfect way to build a dedicated customer base, which will inevitably lead to better sales numbers. Millennials especially

So make sure your digital kiosks successfully market loyalty programs in a way that incentivizes shoppers to take part, while also making it super easy for them to sign up using your touch screen displays.

In-store digital signage offers a valuable platform to extend your branding. When done right, it gives customers a deeper look at what your brand stands for. Things like interesting videos that detail your brand’s story, highlights of work your

brand has done for the community, or encouraging shoppers to donate to charitable causes when checking out on your digital kiosks are all great ways to better your brand’s overall image.

Update: With the release of our new TelemetryOS we are now recommending TelemetryOS devices as the primary choice for new digital signage deployments.

TelemetryOS is our proprietary operating system and the TelemetryTV media player is a secured, optimized and customized platform. TelemetryOS is easy to use, manage, and scale. This will be our primary platform going forward and will receive the most features and attention.

With TelemetryOS we have taken all of the best features from Chrome, Android, Windows and Linux and combined them into one digital signage platform. We believe TelemetryOS will be the most sophisticated digital signage platform on the market.

With our background in high-caliber German engineering, coupled with efficient production and design in Shenzhen, China, has made faytech NA a world-renowned player in the touch device marketplace. faytech NA also specializes in developing customized products and project-based applications, creating loyal customers in over six continents across the globe. faytech North America is based in New York City, with offices and distribution centers throughout the US, Canada and Mexico

Faytech NA products are used in an array of industries, from consumer products and POS systems to ruggedized industrial solutions. Our engineering, design and production teams create the opportunity for our customers to discover the right solution and product for their respective application. Due to our wide range of manufacturing capabilities, experience with product customization, and our trained professionals, Faytech NA can accomodate for a wide range of industries, businesses, and technologies.

Faytech NA products are used in an array of industries, from consumer products and POS systems to ruggedized industrial solutions. Our engineering, design and production teams create the opportunity for our customers to discover the right solution and product for their respective application. Due to our wide range of manufacturing capabilities, experience with product customization, and our trained professionals, faytech can accomodate for a wide range of industries, businesses, and technologies.

Faytech NA products are in use throughout a number of industries, from consumer products and POS systems to ruggedized industrial solutions. Our engineering, design and production teams create the opportunity for our customers to discover the right solution and product for their respective application. With our range of manufacturing capabilities, experience with product customization, and our trained professionals, Faytech NA can service a wide range of industries, businesses, and technologies.

Faytech NA products are in use throughout a number of industries, from consumer products and POS systems to ruggedized industrial solutions. Our engineering, design and production teams create the opportunity for our customers to discover the right solution and product for their respective application. With our range of manufacturing capabilities, experience with product customization, and our trained professionals, Faytech NA can service a wide range of industries, businesses, and technologies.

Science fiction has always served as a window into a potential future, namely in the way of technology. But what was once regulated to episodes of Star Trek is quickly becoming the stuff of reality. Many fixtures of these kinds of shows and books have begun to inspire real-life counterparts, including - but not limited to - touchscreen technology.

One only has to look at how far cell phones have come since their inception. Physical keyboards, like those from BlackBerry, gave people about as much of a solution as is possible for those who found themselves doing more on the devices as they became more advanced. Where tactile options came up short, touchscreens graciously stepped up to bat, providing a much fuller experience. This kind of functionality then spread to tablets, which are considered by many to be rivals of laptops and even standard PCs.

While there are still some things that are best done on a desktop computer, that does not change the fact that many users find themselves longing for the same abilities on their PCs afforded by many of their mobile devices. This is what helped breed the touchscreen monitor market, which has many viable options for people seeking the best of both worlds. With stronger computing power and a finer ability to control actions occurring in the screen, users can get more work done in new and exciting ways.

Traditionally, computer mice are what have allowed us to "touch" in a virtual context, but touchscreen monitors are changing all that. It might be said that the reason that mice were used in the first place was because the technology had not evolved to a responsive enough level to enable that natural solution. Now that people have the touchscreen technology, they want it everywhere.

If one thing is for certain, it is that the burgeoning adoption of touchscreen technology is no fad. Proliferation has already come too far to turn back now, and computer manufacturers are taking notice. Everyone is trying to get a piece of the action, including ELO Touch Solutions, Laiputuo Electronics, Planar, HP, 3M, Touch Systems, ViewSonic, Dell and ACER as well. Getting into the touchscreen monitor game is a no-brainer for the companies involved in this generation of computing. With so many different applications made for touchscreen monitors, options exist for all sorts of interested parties.

Touchscreen monitors are becoming the new standard in both private and enterprise settings. Here are some of the ways they can be leveraged effectively for business: touchscreen monitors for workstations, touchscreen monitors for hospitals, and touchscreen monitors for POS systems.

Newegg offers a large selection of touchscreen monitors which vary according to the type from 5-wire Resistive touchscreen monitors, and Accu Touch touchscreen monitors, to Capacitive touchscreen monitors, and more. Newegg’s wide selections will definitely meet your needs.

As computer display technology advances and user preferences evolve, the use of wide touch screen monitors is gaining popularity. Unlike traditional monitors that served simply as display screens, touch screens are interactive, responding to light taps from a fingertip or stylus instead of input from a keyboard or mouse. As people have become accustomed to this technology on their smartphones and personal tablets, it is a natural progression to use it in computers for retail and restaurant environments, such as point of sale (POS) systems and kiosks.

A wide touch screen monitor features a screen that is mounted in more of a landscape orientation than traditional rectangular POS or kiosk layouts. This wider horizontal format provides greater visibility of displayed information, which can lead to improved worker productivity in many environments. Let’s take a look at the benefits that are causing increased demand for wide touch screen monitors and the features to look for when upgrading your all-in-one POS system.

Increased Productivity: With a wide touch screen monitor, users can view more information or data at once, providing greater ease of use for certain applications or environments. For example, servers in a restaurant can see more of the menu and complete orders with fewer clicks and less scrolling through the options. Touch screens are also intuitive and faster to operate than trying to input data with a traditional keyboard or mouse. Less time placing orders and completing the payment process means servers have more time to upsell customers and focus on customer service. Faster checkout also increases throughput as well as customer satisfaction.

Ergonomics: Real estate or rental space for retailers and restaurateurs is one of the biggest cost centers, especially in larger metropolitan areas. Many owners are forced into smaller restaurant or retail footprints, meaning space is at a premium. The wide touch screen format is ideal for environments where footprint and ergonomics are important. The wide touch screen format allows you to use that valuable counter space to display impulse items for sale or utilize limited space for complimentary POS peripherals. Wide touch screen monitors can also be mounted, so they can fit wherever your workplace needs them to be.

Cleanliness: The pandemic has made businesses of all types more mindful of the importance of sanitizing work and technology equipment. A wide touch screen that comes in a bezel-less, true flat design also makes it easier to clean high touch surfaces. Many all-in-one POS systems are now often semi-ruggedized making them able to withstand constant wipe downs and cleaning. In addition, many POS systems and mobile devices are now being designed as anti-microbial solutions reducing the spread of germs and microbes from user to user.

Improved Aesthetics: For most businesses, image is important, especially in high-end retail or hospitality. The simple lines and uncluttered appearance of a wide touch screen monitor will provide your business with the modern, sleek look that customers expect. Your establishment will appear more up-to-date and tech-savvy, which will further improve customers’ perceptions.

Superior Performance: If you are going to invest in a wide touch screen, don’t forget about performance. Make sure that your selection has the latest microprocessor chip set. You’ll also want to pay attention to processing speed, since the unit will need enough horsepower to handle the most demanding applications. Newer wide touch screen monitors also have the latest technology for reducing power consumption, resulting in lower utility bills. Finally, look for the capability to support the latest operating systems (OS), including Windows 11, Windows 10 IOT, Windows 10 Pro, Windows 11 Pro, and Linux.

With advantages ranging from greater productivity to a compact footprint, wide touch screen monitors are an excellent solution for businesses to adopt. If you’re ready to upgrade, there’s one more factor to consider: the provider. You want to select a technology partner with not only the right product but also knowledge of your industry and the unique needs of your business.

Since 2001, Touch Dynamic has been a nationally recognized, leading US-based designer and manufacturer of touch systems and PCs. At Touch Dynamic we understand the demands on our channel partners and provide unique products and additional value-added services to help them meet the specific needs of their customers. We are in the business of all-in-one touch computers, touch screen monitors, small form factor PCs, tablet and mobile POS devices, kiosks, and point-of-sale peripherals like receipt printers, customer displays and cash drawers.

Dan Bieler, principal analyst at Forrester and author of The CIO’s Guide to 5G in the Retail Sector, says it’s critical that retailers ramp up their digital activities—especially at their existing physical locations.

“Traditional retailers need to think in terms of delivering value beyond having a high-quality product at the right price. Instead, stores need to deliver services and experience on top of their product,” says Bieler. “They must completely rethink customer engagement, sales and marketing activities, which means a massive shift in business strategy.”

With 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC), retailers can get the high speed and low latency they need to provide enhanced in-store experiences and personalization, says Jean-Emmanuel Biondi, principal at Deloitte Retail, Wholesale and Distribution.

“5G and edge [computing] will support the emergence of new technologies that address some of the business issues and remove some of the frictions that you see in stores,” says Biondi. “With these frictions removed, the retailers can then focus on customer experience.”

Although customers don’t see back-end operations like tracking and monitoring inventory, this work is essential to getting the right products onto shelves and into shopping bags. Managing inventory in an omnichannel environment is increasingly complex, but 5G can help expedite stock replenishment by using a combination of intelligent cameras and sensors to monitor inventory and automatically replenish products when they’re running low.

“Retailers can use video analytics to understand where inventory positions need to be replenished and then make decisions on reallocating inventory,” says Biondi. “Because gathering data becomes complicated, 5G can play a major role in enabling the near real-time data needed to make replenishment decisions.”

Interactive fitting rooms could let customers try on different sizes and add accessories without having to leave the room—it would all be virtual. The rooms could also let customers change variables like lighting conditions to see how an outfit looks at different times of day. The same screen that serves as a virtual mirror could provide information about ordering out-of-stock items.

“Stores can use 5G to get the high-quality connection they need for more advanced technology, which could allow them to provide the personalization and support provided by bigger companies,” says Bieler. Some stores may opt to entirely replace wired networks with 5G networks.

In the metaverse, a virtual environment where people can interact with each other, brands and retailers are increasingly establishing a presence. Bieler says that the speed and latency required to handle the data throughput in the metaverse means that 5G could be a game-changer.

In fact, 5G will make possible even richer VR experiences, including more immersive sound and the sense of touch. You might, for example, be able to feel the virtual texture of a sweater.

The future of shopping may, in fact, be contactless. Fans cheering on their favorite professional football team at the Hard Rock Stadium can purchase snacks, beverages and merchandise at the autonomous Express Shop. Customers swipe a credit card to enter the store, pick the items they want off the shelf and then simply walk out. Computer vision technology powered by Verizon 5G tracks the items as they’re selected. When the customer leaves the shop, their credit card is charged automatically, and they are emailed a receipt. Because of the low latency that 5G technology can provide, the sale is processed in nearly real time.

To stay relevant in today’s competitive brick and mortar environment and compete against digital sales, it’s crucial to create a positive in-store experience that incentivizes customers to keep coming back. Thus, the need for point of sale touch screen monitors in retail to inform, entertain, educate, and influence is more crucial than ever to cultivate customer loyalty and create a positive and memorable in-store experience.

Digital signage can serve a multitude of purposes in retail environments. Overhead large displays can be used to inform or direct consumers, whereas point of sale touch screen monitor are proven to increase sales and make the in-store experience superior to shopping online. Retail touch screen monitors can also be utilized to customize experiences towards a customer’s unique and specialized needs, creating a personalized experience that makes their shopping easier and more efficient.

We’ve worked with a multitude of clients to achieve their goals while improving and enhancing their brick and mortar experiences for their customers. Whether it’s a consumer-facing display to verify purchases, pricing, or signature capture or a POP display to educate customers within the aisle end cap, or specialty selection, we have the retail touch screens and expertise to provide the right POStouch screen monitor system for any retail need.

The past two years has proved that online shopping is here to stay, and many brands ramped up their ecommerce efforts to meet consumer demands. But, it also proved that there’s still no substitute for certain in-store experiences. Now that retailers are opening their doors again, in-store shopping is rising back to pre-pandemic levels, with 47 percent of people reporting shopping in-store daily or weekly, up from 41 percent in mid-2020.

Some retailers have used the last year to develop new, creative ways to entice customers to return to stores. As an update to their brick-and-mortar store design, many retailers are incorporating LED video walls — such as The Wall — both for branding and for experiential benefits. Not only are these retail wall displays visually stunning and easily customizable, they encourage buyers to make a purchase.

Retailers are using this Samsung technology to set a tone and distinguish their premium retail environment as more modern and forward-thinking than the competition. With customizable modules, The Wall video display can be configured in a variety of shapes and sizes according to your unique retail space. And the cutting-edge microLED display technology brings videos and still images to life in striking detail, even up close. If customers — or their shopping carts — get too close and bump, scratch or touch the display, The Wall’s shock-resistant technology will withstand the impact.

For products like makeup and luxury fashion, it’s critical that your ads reflect the true colors of your brand. High-end cosmetics companies may spend years developing trademark shades of lipstick and nail polish. To honor that effort — and help it pay off — the product marketing should display the precise trademarked shade.

The Wall LED video display has the technology for retailers to showcase the premium nature of their brand in vibrant color and high contrast. Ultra Chroma and Black Seal technology display true-to-life colors against a pure black canvas. The exceptionally black base reduces reflection so the colors are precise no matter what kind of lighting you have in your store.

Whether you’re hosting a product launch, a charity event or a celebrity appearance, your in-store event doesn’t have to be limited to one location. Customers at your other storefronts — even in a different city, state or country — can also participate by watching a live broadcast on an LED video display. The innovative display technology creates an immersive viewing experience that transports customers. This use case especially suits brands that partner with influencers or have highly anticipated product launches where they want to maximize participation and viewership.

The Wall’s design is fully customizable, so retailers can scale their video wall as big as they like and wrap it around the corners and curves in the store. Working closely with partners, Samsung’s turnkey service and support assists retailers with the planning, design and installation stages, accelerating the installation timeline and reducing downtime for retailers.

Luxury markets like high-end real estate, cars, boats and jewelry inherently lend themselves to The Wall’s display capabilities. In one showroom, a colossal video wall might show awe-inspiring images of a yacht sailing across the open water, a sleek sports car navigating a winding cliffside road or a multimillion-dollar estate with flowing fountains and colorful gardens.

The Wall allows you to showcase your products in a hyperrealistic way, so clients are witness to your brand’s quality and craftsmanship. In an automotive showroom, for example, prospective buyers can view the specs of a vehicle in incredible detail. Seeing the product in action or up close on an LED video display, clients can more readily imagine the benefits of their purchase, giving you that extra push to make a deal.

Perhaps the most appealing feature of The Wall is its emotional effect on shoppers — something marketers spend years studying. The Wall’s visuals are so crisp they’re almost 3D, mentally transporting customers wherever you want to take them. Retailers can use The Wall to evoke joy, envy or surprise in customers, creating an emotional attachment between the consumer and the product.

Retailers can even customize The Wall’s viewing experience for each unique customer by making dynamic content updates through a content management system (CMS) like MagicINFO.

With consumers ready to spend in person again, brands can set themselves apart by using video walls to create experiences that are interactive, immersive and — most importantly — memorable.

Discover all thatThe Wallcan do for your customers, and how they remember your brand. But if you’re not sure The Wall suits your store, you can find the right display tech for your space, style and budget with Samsung’s free assessment.

Whether you’re a new business or an e-commerce brand seeking to enter the physical world, opening a brick-and-mortar location has benefits and drawbacks. Traditional brick-and-mortar sales are still higher than online sales overall; yet, many customers report browsing an online store beforevisiting a store’s physical location.

In 2018, the U.S. Department of Commerce estimated that only 14.3% of total retail sales occurred online. E-commerce sales have been growing year after year, and yet they remain only a relatively small portion of all sales.

The customer experience is one aspect that can’t be replicated by an online-only retailer. A recent survey by Retail Dive discovered that “the ability to see, touch and feel products ranks highest among the reasons consumers choose to shop in stores versus online.” Customers seek the opportunity to interact with a product and to ask you and your team questions before completing a purchase. There’s a level of trust a brick-and-mortar location achieves that an online store can’t quite reproduce.

A physical storefront is expensive to open and operate. Entrepreneur lists the cost of starting a retail store somewhere between $2,000 and $100,000, depending on your vertical. Your costs will depend on the size and location of your business, but here’s a rough example of what you can expect to pay to operate a retail store:

Licenses and permits, including an Employer Identification Number (EIN) needed for taxes, any state and local licenses required by the SBA, a resale certificate, a seller’s permit, and a certificate of occupancy. Depending on your business and state regulations, budget between $200 - $2,000 for licensing fees.

Store fixtures and equipment, including display racks, POS systems, computers, and security equipment. This category can add up fast — POS systems can run you $2,000 easily.

Business insurance, such as property insurance, workers’ compensation, and liability insurance. There are several types of insurance policies that are worth exploring as a small business owner.

Marketing and advertising,including in-store signage, local marketing, and online ads. Expect to spend between $500 to $10,000 per month on spreading the word about your location.

Renovations and design, especially when starting as a blank slate. It’s up to the renter or owner to make the space aesthetically inviting. Contractors generally charge between $50 to $100 per hour, depending on the type of work required, in addition to the cost of materials and cleaning supplies.

Partner services,such as professional legal or financial advice. Work with a lawyer or accountant to keep your business running smoothly. These third-party partners can cost $1,000 to $10,000 or more.

Some of these costs, such as those related to your website, will also apply to running an online shop. Overall, however, the operating costs for running an online store are significantly lower than those of a brick-and-mortar location.

Online-only retailers must compete for attention constantly. Amazon and Google have dominated the online space, requiring small businesses to pay a premium just to be noticed. Social media influencers and YouTube can thwart a business’s marketing efforts, and many small merchants spend an inordinate amount of time simply trying to be visible. Find the right real estate, and a brick-and-mortar location can take advantage of being physically present to close a sale.

Unfortunately, a brick-and-mortar storefront does not negate the necessity of having an online presence for your small business. Locale limitations can prevent customers from finding you. Stores that rely on word of mouth and nearby foot traffic to make a sale are limiting their growth potential. Your online presence is integral to supporting your physical location. One study found that three out of four shoppers who find helpful, local information online are more likely to visit the store in person.Social media, or even just a listing on Yelp, can make a big difference in your retail store’s success.

CO— aims to bring you inspiration from leading respected experts. However, before making any business decision, you should consult a professional who can advise you based on your individual situation.

CO—is committed to helping you start, run and grow your small business. Learn more about the benefits of small business membership in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, here.

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This article is about the e-commerce concept. For brick and mortar construction, see Brickwork. For other uses, see Brick and mortar (disambiguation).

Brick and mortar (also bricks and mortar or B&M) refers to a physical presence of an organization or business in a building or other structure. The term brick-and-mortar business is often used to refer to a company that possesses or leases retail shops, factory production facilities, or warehouses for its operations.e-commerce businesses in the 2000s, brick-and-mortar businesses are companies that have a physical presence (e.g., a retail shop in a building) and offer face-to-face customer experiences.

This term is usually used to contrast with a transitory business or an Internet-only presence, such as fully online shops, which have no physical presence for shoppers to visit, talk with staff in person, touch and handle products and buy from the firm in person. However, such online businesses normally have non-public physical facilities from which they either run business operations (e.g., the company headquarters and back office facilities), and/or warehouses for storing and distributing products.storefront visibility, and appealing interior design apply to brick-and-mortar businesses rather than online ones. An online-only business needs to have an attractive, well-designed website, a reliable e-commerce system for payment, a good delivery or shipping service and effective online marketing tactics to drive web traffic to the site. Governments are also adopting e-government approaches, which is the use of online services for citizens to enable them to fill in government forms, pay tax bills and register for government programs online; these services aim to cut bricks and mortar costs (building leasing/purchase and staff costs) and improve services to citizens (by offering 24/7 access to information and services).

The name is a metonym derived from the traditional building materials associated with physical buildings: bricks and mortar, however, it is applicable to all stores with a physical storefront, not just those built out of bricks and mortar. The term was originally used by 19th century American novelist Herman Melville in the book Moby Dick (chapter 96). The term brick-and-mortar businesses is also a retronym, in that most shops had a physical presence before the advent of the Internet. The term is also applicable in a pre-Internet era, when contrasting businesses with physical retail presence with those that operated strictly in an order-by-mail capacity pre-Internet.

The history of brick and mortar businesses cannot be dated precisely, but it existed in the earliest vendor stalls in the first towns (as early as 7500 BC), where merchants brought their agricultural produce, clay pots and handmade clothing to sell in a village market. Bricks and mortar businesses remain important in the 2010s, though many shops and services, ranging from consumer electronics shops to clothing shops and even grocery shops have begun offering online shopping. This physical presence, either of a retail shop, a customer service location with staff, where clients can go in person to ask questions about a product or service, or a service center or repair facility where customers can bring their products, has played a crucial role in providing goods and services to consumers throughout history.

All large retailers in the 19th and the early to mid-20th century started off with a smaller brick and mortar presence, which increased as the businesses grew. A prime example of this is McDonald’s, a company that started with one small restaurant and now has nearly 36,000 restaurants in over 120 countries and plans to grow further; this shows the importance of having a physical presence.small businesses, their business model is mostly limited to a bricks and mortar model, such as a diner restaurant or a dry cleaning service. Nevertheless, even service-based businesses can use websites and "apps" to reach new customers or improve their services. For example, a dry cleaning service could use a website to let customers know of the hours and location(s) of their bricks and mortar stores.

Netflix, an online movie streaming website founded in 1997, is an example of how an online business has affected a B&M businesses such as video rental stores. After Netflix and similar companies became popular, traditional DVD rental stores such as Blockbuster LLC went out of business. Customers preferred to be able to instantly watch movies and TV shows using "streaming", without having to go to a physical rental store to rent a DVD, and then return to the store to give the DVD back. "The rapid rise of online film streaming offered by the likes of Lovefilm and Netflix made Blockbuster"s video and DVD [rental] business model practically obsolete."

There has been an increase in online retailers in the 2000s, as people are using e-commerce (online sales) to fulfill basic needs ranging from grocery shopping to book purchases. Sales through mobile devices such as tablet computers and smartphones have also risen in the 2000s: "While total online sales rose 18% year-on-year in December to £11.1 [B], according to the latest figures [January 2014] from e-tail industry body IMRG and advisory firm Capgemini, sales via mobile devices doubled to £3 [B]."

The increase in households where both adults work outside the home, combined with the convenience of shopping for and buying products and services online, has decreased the number of customers going to retail outlets, as consumers can access the same information about products and services without paying for gas, parking and other costs, thus saving them time and money. "Today’s consumers lead busy lives and [Bricks and Mortar] shopping takes time. Often it is a [challenging] task. Consumers find researching and shopping on the Web far more convenient than brick-and-mortar visits."Tesco, who offer an online grocery service as well as a brick and mortar retail presence.

Customer service: face-to-face customer service can be a big contributor into increasing sales of a business and improving customer satisfaction. When customers can take a product back to the store to ask staff questions or help them learn to use it, it can make customers feel more satisfied with their purchase. Research has shown that 86% of customers will pay more for a product if they have received great customer service.

Face-to-face interaction: Many consumers prefer to be able to touch products, and experience and test them out before they buy. This is often attributed to Baby Boomers, older Generation X customers and the elderly being used to a more traditional in-person approach when it comes to shopping and preferring to have a demonstration of products or services, especially when buying new technology .showrooming: trying on clothes or otherwise examining merchandise in-store, and then buying online at cheaper prices.

Fixed costs are a serious challenge for B&M businesses. Fixed costs are payments that a business has to make for elements such as rent of a store and monthly payments for services such as a security alarm. Fixed costs stay the same for a business even if it ramps up its operations or winds down its operations during a slow period. In contrast, variable costs change as a business ramps its operations up or down. Variable costs include wages (for employees paid by the hour) and electricity for operating machinery used by the business during its operating hours. If a business increases its hours of operation, its hourly wages and electricity bill will rise, but its rent and security alarm costs will stay the same (assuming that the business does not add additional locations). Start-up companies and other small businesses typically find it hard to pay all of the fixed costs that are part of their venture. Research shows that 70% of new start up businesses fail within the first 10 years.

People have busier lifestyles in the 2010s, with more families having both adults working, and therefore they find it harder to find the time to physically go and shop at stores and services. As well, in many cities traffic jams and congestion on roads have made it more stressful and time-consuming to drive to physical locations to shop. Online shopping and online services, which consumers can access from an Internet-connected laptop or smartphone are more convenient for these people.

B&M increases the fixed cost for any business, therefore the products sold in physical shops tend to be more expensive compared to online shops. For stores selling expensive products or services in a B&M format, customers expect beautiful window displays, fine decorating in the establishment and well-dressed salespeople who earn high commission on their sales. Some high-end hair salons and luxury car stores even offer conveniences such as free espresso and bottled water, all of which add to the overhead of selling these products and services. Online shops, even those for luxury goods, do not have to pay for high-end retail stores and salespeople.Web 2.0 functions on their website, a professionally designed site, and in some cases, staff available to respond to phone calls, e-mails and online "chat" questions.

Products may be out stock in relatively small brick and mortar retail stores and due to limited space in small business retail stores, these establishments may only be able to carry a few types of each product. Online shops are able to have a huge amount of stock in numerous large warehouses (e.g., Amazon.com has warehouses in numerous locations from which it ships its products) which it can quickly ship out. An online store may be able to order up products from a large number of geographically dispersed warehouses, even warehouses owned and operated by third parties (e.g., smaller companies), which are connected to the large company via the Internet.

Queues (lineups and waiting rooms) are part and parcel of B&M retail businesses, due to physical constraints and the limitations on how many staff the business can afford to hire. A physical store may only have a few salespeople to serve customers, so many customers may have to wait in line during the busiest hours. To lessen the stress of waiting, some B&M stores provide big-screen TVs with cable TV, free coffee and newspapers; while these niceties improve the customer experience, they add to the costs of operating a B&M establishment. On the other hand, an online virtual store in which customers select their own purchases in a virtual "shopping cart" and pay for them using e-commerce approaches may be able to serve thousands of customers at the same time.

Beginning in the 1990s and early 2000s, many governments in industrialised countries began to offer e-government services to citizens. Online government services are offered by a range of government departments and agencies, ranging from departments of motor vehicles (online car registration), police (paying speeding tickets online), city services (paying parking tickets online or requesting that a pothole be filled) and social services (registering for social assistance or unemployment insurance) and tax departments (paying a tax bill or submitting a tax return online). Many governments use e-services to provide online information to citizens (e.g., "help" guides, Frequently Asked Question lists, manuals for government program applicants, etc.), thus saving on the need for call centers where citizens can call to ask questions or physical service locations where citizens can come in person to ask about government forms or services.

These online government services aim at two goals: reducing costs to governments and improving client service. By offering these services and information online, governments save money, because they do not have to offer as many bricks and mortar client service centers where citizens can come and fill in these forms and pay government bills. Governments offering e-services can also operate with less civil servants and thus less salary and benefits costs, as the citizens using online services are generally doing all of the administrative tasks (e.g., downloading a form, filling in a form, looking up guidance in an online "help" manual, paying fees) themselves using their home computer. E-government services also improve service for citizens who have access to a computer, Internet and an online payment method (e.g., a credit card or PayPal), because these citizens are not limited by the 9 am-5 pm or 8 am-4 pm business hours of most physical government offices, and citizens do not have to incur the costs of transportation (e.g., bus tickets, gas, parking, etc.) associated with going to a bricks and mortar location. Nevertheless, government e-services do not help all citizens, due to the digital divide; citizens who are in poverty, who are homeless or who live in rural or remote regions may not have access to high speed Internet. These citizens, as well as those who are not comfortable with computers or those who do not understand how to use them, which in practice means elderly people, are not able to benefit from e-services.

Chalabi, Mona (17 July 2013). "McDonald"s 34,492 restaurants: where are they?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

Butler, Sarah (15 January 2014). "Shopping by smartphone and tablet in UK increases by 18%". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2014.

Walker, Brian. "Retail In Crisis: These Are The Changes Brick-And-Mortar Stores Must Make". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

Lawson, Alex (15 September 2014). "Shoppers "hit the high streets with purpose" as footfall drops but spending rises". www.standard.co.uk. London Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 30 October 2014. Retrieved 29 October 2014.

There’s plenty of content out there about how to expand your brick and mortar business to the big bad web, and this makes sense given the prevalence of the Internet in the consumer landscape.

However, the utility and importance of having a physical storefront is far from obsolete and the once seemingly endless supply of space on the internet is suddenly becoming both overpriced and overcrowded.

If you have an ecommerce business that you’re currently considering expanding to a brick and mortar, know that you are not alone: Amazon, the global internet tycoon retailer, shocked buyers by opening its first, true brick and mortar space—a bookstore in Seattle.

Some other big names that might ring a bell have recently made the same strategic decision like Casper, Warby Parker, and Bonobos. The stability of the traditional brick and mortar store has not changed despite the boom of the Internet revolution—91.5% of all retail sales still occur in physical marketplaces.

The introduction of a physical space for your brand is a building block for differentiation and a way to further develop how you want your business to be perceived and labeled by the public.

While the task of expanding to a brick and mortar space may seem daunting, especially if you feel that your expertise is in the digital sphere, it can be a meaningfully profitable move to make.

This is particularly true if you have a product that people are hesitant to purchase without touching or seeing it in person (ex: jewelry) or if you feel that you have customer demand for an in-store experience.

Batch, originally a monthly subscription service, opened up a brick and mortar location in Nashville three years ago. They made the leap to a physical store because their customers were asking for one: “Letting customers drive our expansion has helped us time and again, rather than trying to guess where our customer is headed.”

Great Wine, a wine producer that seeks to start new conversation about wine, opened up various physical tasting rooms because: “A business is ready to open a physical store when it is ready for market changes. Great Wine believes that the market will tell you what it needs, and the key to success is to be ready to change—after all, taste does change over time!”

The move to brick and mortar is definitely not for all ecommerce businesses and taking on the plethora of new costs and responsibility should only be something you consider if you feel that your ecommerce business is being stifled by its Internet parameters, or if you think that you can make the economics of a brick and mortar location work to enhance your business’s overall profitability.

However, if you feel that your business currently lacks the traction you want, your online marketing outreach is having little effect, consumer awareness of your brand is low, and you have the resources to open up a physical marketplace of some kind available (it doesn’t necessarily have to be a traditional store, we’ll explain below), here is a step-by-step guide of everything you need to create a buzz-generating, brand-enhancing, storefront.

While the annoying legal semantics and paperwork of physical real estate will by no means be the most exciting component of your opening process, they cannot be overlooked.

Planning for and managing the future costs of your businesses is what Roberta from ScrubzBody™ describes as the tradeoff between the enhanced customer interaction of a brick and mortar location and the increased financial responsibility: “But with that comes the expenses. The rent was a given, but the insurance, the overhead, the fixing of small issues, dealing with the landlord, the signage, etc. all were extras I did not think about at first. My advice is to take absolutely everything into consideration and add another $500 a month, just in case, when thinking about the shift in expenses.”

In addition to outlining what the core concept of your brick and mortar will be (i.e. are you looking to create a series of pop-up type shops, more than one permanent physical storefront, a flagship store, a place for merely trying on merchandise), your business plan should answer the following questions:

Will you need outside financing and, if yes, where will it come from? (i.e. Will you be seeking equity or debt financing? If you opt for the latter, will you be applying for a term loan? A business line of credit? A merchant cash advance?)

How long will it take for your physical storefront to become profitable without the support of your ecommerce sales? If this isn’t part of your business model, outline how you envision the physical space will drive more sales to your ecommerce business?

Are you looking for a finished space or a space that needs significant renovation?  If you plan to renovate, what are you max build-out costs? How much do you plan to spend on furnishings, art and decor?

Where will you look for your original hires? How big of a staff do you plan to have?  What will the hours of your store be?  Approximate how much will you spend on a) employee training and b) employee salary?

Do your research on the different kinds of systems, some work exclusively with iPads while others can be used with computers, and some have features that might be either absolutely necessary or too superfluous (you can dig deeper on the subject here).

Have experienced eyes go over your business plan: If managing your financials is not your strong suit (and, if it isn’t, know that you aren’t alone), you can work with your accountant to help you formulate your budget and have him or her go over your business plan.

You will need to establish what kind of business structure your store will be: LLCs are the most popular business formations, and becoming an LLC is a fairly simple process that your lawyer will be able to execute for you; working with a lawyer is a way to ensure that your business plan is up to date on the various real estate regulations, legal rules, and necessary permits ahead of time so that when it comes time to open your store, you don’t run into any serious hurdles.

Work with a local broker to find spaces that fit the requirements you have outlined and be highly conscientious that the neighborhood you choose to set-up shop in will say a lot about your internal space.

Think about foot traffic, proximity to competitors, and what other businesses in the area call the neighborhood home. Of course, your finances will also play a part in where you choose to build your brand’s space, which is why working with a local broker will help you avoid wasting time looking at places that are far beyond your price range.

Giving your customer the ability to interact with the product:By putting the product in the hands of the buyer, you give it the opportunity to sell itself; when you start designing your store, ask yourself, what about your product made it demand a physical marketplace (in other words, what wasn’t being adequately conveyed online)?

While the overarching goal of your store will be to espouse your brand in a meaningful way, the heart of your brand is, naturally, the product itself.

What the Internet store often lacks for consumers is the transparency and comfort of knowing what they are buying; with in-person, there are less unknowns.

Julio Zegarra-Ballon owns a Fair Trade store in St. Louis, Zee Bee Market. Bringing his business to a physical space has provided him with the opportunity to share the story behind each of his products—something that has proven especially valuable in driving sales. “What I find myself saying is, ‘Look, you fell in love with the product because it’s beautiful—now let me tell you a story that will warm your heart.’ So customers are just on Cloud Nine. Of course they like what they’re buying, but now they actually feel really goodabout their purchases, and what they’re supporting.”

Two Guys Bow Ties of Tulsa took another route: in their first, and what they plan to be their only, physical location, they have both a showroom and manufacturing facility. “That for us was one of the big reasons [to open a brick and mortar]. People could see from start to finish how the product was made.”

If clients can come in to your store and then alleviate any anxiety they may have about the product, it’s likely that in the future they will feel more comfortable buying online as they are now familiar with your brand.

It is important to remember that your brick and mortar should not be a means of replacing your online sales but instead of enhancing them; as your physical store draws people in, find ways to direct them online.

Maybe that means you advertise online only sales in your store or maybe you offer a select, exclusive stock in store and a more expansive stock online.

Giving your customer the ability to interact with sales staff:The staff you choose to fill your space with are vital contributors to your store’s success.

Roberta from ScrubzBody™ , a skincare brand with both a brick and mortar store and an online business, has felt the importance of customer interaction in driving profit, “I see the difference in sales. Because we get to meet, greet and really get to know our customers, the in store experience is amazing and every time a person walks in, it usually translates into a sale. The person to person experience is the best sales tool in the world, especially if you sell products that are sensory or touch-feely.”

Be mindful that your hires are passionate about you and your product; customer interaction with your staff can be one of the biggest advantages of opening a brick and mortar store, but it can also, of course, be your downfall.

Michella from Great Wine expressed struggling with attracting the right staff initially: “Attracting people who truly understand the new direction of a company can be more difficult than you could imagine. I needed more people to work in my company in my first year of business, and eventually in our tasting room. But some people had unrealistic expectations over the job or over the company. I have encountered people who pretended to love the company, while all they wanted was only money.”

If the goal of your physical store is to enhance and encourage the buying experience from your customers, then the staff that are answering their questions about the product, exchanging sizes, or arranging for an in-store online orders can be the difference between convincing on-the-fence shoppers to either buy, or walk out of your store empty-handed.

Giving yourself and your staff the ability to hear and see customer feedback about your product in person:The ecommerce store leaves far less room for customer feedback than being surrounding by your customers while they are fully immersed in the buying experience.

In store, you and your staff can watch as the customer deliberates over and handles your product, inquire about their recommendations and expectations, and more easily hear their concerns.

Further, your brick and mortar is a great way for you to see who your target demographic really is and inform you to make changes if you are not successfully reaching who you would like to be reaching.

Karen Wylie of The Soap Shed commented about how the physical store changed their product development: “Having the experience of selling our products in person, eye to eye, with customers gave us an understanding of what they were looking for. We would NOT have learned as much about our products and how to sell them if we had been online only.”

This again, echoes the importance of having a competent sales and management team to help you get the most out of your physical store; while your salesmen are busy catering to your customers’ needs, part of your store manager’s responsibilities (if you aren’t managing yourself) should include reporting to you about customer feedback and being mindful about the direction that your brand is taking.

Designing a loyalty program that incorporates customer feedback is another great way to bridge your virtual and physical stores together: maybe you provide a link to an online survey about their experience in the brick and mortar location that, upon completion, grants them a discount and leaves them on the homepage of your website, eager to shop.

If upon entering your store you feel that your brand is captured better than ever, but the vibe of your website is dissonant to the vibe of the store, make changes.Renovate the two spaces together as complements, always keeping your product, customer demographic, and brand ethos at the forefront of your design strategy.

Karen Wiley uses her physical sales interactions to direct her online marketing: “Participation in shows, festivals and ‘pop ups’ or trunk shows can build your confidence, confirm your product ‘works’ as intended, and help you reword your sales pitch. Nothing like watching a customer’s eyes glaze over with confusion or light up with delight to let you know when you’ve found ‘the right words.’ Then you know what to write about your product on your web pages”.

Giving your customers an experience: Having a physical space allows you to curate a unique environment for prospective customers, as well as your existing evangelists. It doesn’t necessarily have to be hugeendeavor, but a brick and mortar provides you with the opportunity to offer something that resonates with consumers more than any online discount code ever could—value beyond the transaction. Whether it’s exclusivity, a sense of community or eduction, some experiential examples include:

Reformation’s San Francisco brick and mortar space features touchscreen monitors which allow customers to scan through outfits. “When they find one they like, they can click on the size and it will appear in the dressing room, as if by magic.”

Organizing and advertising for a launch party in your space before your grand opening is a great way to generate awareness; advertise online and around the neighborhood, and of course utilize the power of word of mouth.

For Zee Bee Market, Julio recalls: “The first thing I did, for the grand opening, was send press releases to as many news outlets as I could think of— radio, television, printed media, magazines; you name it. And inevitably two or three publications took interest.”

Instagram is an incredibly powerful advertising tool on its own in terms of having a means to digitally portray your brand, but once you have a physical store, its power multiplies.

Try to have something “Instagrammable” in your store—the Samsung flagship store in New York features a hallway of screens that numerous customers take pictures in and post. Having an feature like this is a key way to draw customers back to your online platform. Some examples include:

When Paintbox opened a brick and mortar location in New York City, the nail studio installed a custom manicure photo booth. In the first 2 years alone over 15,000 photos have been uploaded to social media.

Your grand opening should also be advertised on all social media platforms and via local outlets like flyers, including an incentive like free refreshments or a discount etc.

Maybe your ecommerce business is thriving, but you feel that there is overflow of customer demand and have the finances to sustain the growth to a brick and mortar space.

As Sam from Batch told us, “a physical presence is a great tool for marketing,” especially when your advertising budget is limited. Taking the time to carefully outweigh the advantages and disadvantages unique to your company and product, and following the advice laid out here, will help you decide whether or not to try for a brick and mortar success story.

Coming to know if your home-based business if ready to move to a retail space. There are some ideas to think about when you are trying to make this important decision.

When is the ideal time to move your business from your home to a retail space?  This is a question that will most likely cross the mind of every home based business owner at one point in the life of the business – Should I move my business to a brick and mortar store?  I want to touch on a few points that might make the decision a little easier to make.

There are arguments to keep the business at home like low costs, minimal travel time, and no office politics but I want to focus on some reasons why it might make sense for the move to a brick and mortar store:

Room to Grow.  There is a good chance, especially if you have a lot of inventory, that you are running out of room at home and need more space to accommodate your inventory needs.

Professional Front.  Having a place to easily display your product as well as a place for the customer to visit presents a more professional feel and look.

Boundaries. Your work time and space is separate and distinct from your family life and your living space.  You can leave work problems at work and your home life stays in the home.

Social Energy. You will have more people around to fuel your creativity, more of those “happy accidents” that sometimes happen just from talking with and being around others.  That can also come from having more interaction with customers.

If you are considering a move to a brick and mortar store, look at these reasons and see if some of these points are what is happening in your home based business.  If you think a move is something that might be in your future, contact your local representative of the Small Business Development Center and we can help you get ready.  Is there anything else that might have helped you make the decision to move to a brick and mortar store?