Consumer Survey is Good News for Brick-and-Mortar Stores

A real estate developer for more than 40 years, Elliot Feuerstein is the managing officer of a number of shopping centers in San Diego, CA. Moreover, Elliot Feuerstein has traveled to trade shows of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), of which he is a member. 

While some may worry that online businesses will swallow brick-and-mortar stores, real estate developers and store owners can take comfort in the results of a February 2018 study, which were published on the ICSC website. Based on a national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, surveyors found that three in five people (60 percent) continued to buy a majority of their goods in actual stores and did not plan to change their behavior anytime soon. 

Brick-and-mortar stores continue to have a competitive advantage over online retailers in certain areas, for instance, they enable the consumer to see, touch, and try on merchandise before deciding whether to purchase it. Items that consumers prefer to buy in-store include clothing, beauty and cosmetic products, and electronics.

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