When Marketplaces Give Brick-and-Mortar Stores a New Lease on Life
In the early days of e-commerce, having a reputation built on several years of in-store activity was a considerable advantage.
Fnac, La Redoute, 3Suisses, Carrefour: all these companies, now well established in the online retail sector, have a “trust advantage” that others do not. Physical stores therefore supported e-commerce.
Today, thanks to the importance of the web in consumers’ lives, this model can be reversed: marketplaces can improve the capabilities of physical stores.
More choice, better prices: what marketplaces can offer your customers
An e-commerce marketplace means opening your sales platform to third-party sellers. This allows your website to offer more products at more competitive prices. So why not use these advantages to make your physical stores more effective?
Previously, when you went to a store to buy a camera accessory, for example, you could only choose from the products displayed on the shelves. Only three products might have been available, while the website, thanks to its marketplace, could offer several dozen. Thanks to a marketplace, you can offer your customers all the products available on your website with fast delivery.
No storage issues, multiple delivery points
The major advantage a marketplace can bring to your store is the ability to offer a wide range of products without facing storage issues. You can therefore imagine connected tools (such as an in-store kiosk, for example) allowing customers to choose from the products available on your marketplace and collect them 48 hours later if they are not already available in store.
The products you offer your customers will remain stored by the sellers on your marketplace until a sale is made, requiring less storage space and therefore reducing costs.
Another advantage: customers collecting products ordered through your marketplace will generate traffic to your physical store and potentially lead to additional purchases.
