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Consultant tells readers to be wary of online 'growth' reports

April 24, 2013

A recent post on smartcompany.com.au by Australian retail consultant Brain Walker warns industry followers not to believe everything the read about online retail. Here is an excerpt:

No real coincidence is it that 18 out the top 20 U.S.-based online retailers have physical stores, and now we see Google opening retail stores, and so it goes.

Why is that?

Simply put — we like to touch and enjoy the experience. Generally, we like colour, stimulus, sound, smell, taste and experience when we go shopping. In fact, our RDG insights division conducts an annual Australian Retail Consumer Study and guess what we found?

Well, one insight is that well over 45 percent of consumers want that tactile experience. For them, the slash of a keyboard stroke, followed by the delivery of a brown parcel by some independent courier company does not add up to an exciting or even interesting retail experience.

Read more about online retailing.