August 1, 2024 • 10 mins
Can brick-and-mortar stores survive in the digital age, or will e-commerce dominate the future of retail? Join us on Not Just Candle Talk as we unravel the intricate dynamics between physical storefronts and online shopping. We explore the irreplaceable charm of tangible shopping experiences and community interactions that brick-and-mortar stores offer. At the same time, we delve into the unparalleled convenience and innovation of e-commerce, which has redefined how we shop. From high operational costs to cybersecurity issues, we examine the unique challenges each model faces. Discover how omnichannel strategies, augmented reality, and sustainability practices can bridge the gap and deliver a seamless shopping experience.
In the latter part of this insightful episode, we open the floor to small business owners to share their real-world experiences, whether they thrive online or in physical locations. We delve into the exhilarating opportunities and daunting challenges they encounter in today's fast-changing market. Wrapping up with a motivational call to action, we encourage our listeners to keep pushing boundaries and innovating in their ventures. Plus, don’t miss our reflections on the resurgence of small, local shops and how our own e-commerce candle business fits into this dynamic landscape. Tune in for inspiration, practical insights, and a forward-looking perspective on the future of retail!
In the latter part of this insightful episode, we open the floor to small business owners to share their real-world experiences, whether they thrive online or in physical locations. We delve into the exhilarating opportunities and daunting challenges they encounter in today's fast-changing market. Wrapping up with a motivational call to action, we encourage our listeners to keep pushing boundaries and innovating in their ventures. Plus, don’t miss our reflections on the resurgence of small, local shops and how our own e-commerce candle business fits into this dynamic landscape. Tune in for inspiration, practical insights, and a forward-looking perspective on the future of retail!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome back to Not Just Candle Talk, where we
explore the ins and outs oftoday's dynamic business
landscapes, today's business.
Today we're going to dive intoa hot topic brick and mortar
versus e-commerce.
Let's start with the brick andmortar businesses.
(00:22):
These are your traditionalstorefronts, shops, cafes and
other physical locations wherecustomers can walk in, browse,
make a purchase.
Brick and mortars have beenaround for centuries.
Right, create a tangibleshopping experience that
e-commerce often struggle toreciprocate, experience that
(00:49):
e-commerce often struggle toreciprocate.
Brick and mortars offer thatpersonal touch.
Right, customers can physicallyinteract with products, get
immediate assistance and enjoythe overall experience of a
store.
Okay, it's a sensory experiencethat's hard to beat.
It really is.
These businesses often serve ascommunity hubs.
(01:11):
Think about your favoritecoffee shop or your local
bookstore.
They provide a sense of placeand belonging that a website
just can't match.
And, let's not forget, theycontribute to the local economy
by providing jobs and alsosupporting other local
businesses throughoutpartnerships and purchases.
(01:33):
Now let's talk about e-commerce.
In recent years, online shoppinghas exploded in popularity.
Okay, with the convenience ofbrowsing and buying from
anywhere in the world,e-commerce has, uh,
revolutionized, uh, how we shop.
E-commerce offers unmatchedconvenience.
(01:55):
Uh, you can shop 24, 7 couldcompare prices easily easily and
have products delivered rightto your doorstep, right.
It's a game changer for busypeople and those living in
remote areas, and, with theadvancements in technology,
(02:18):
e-commerce platforms can nowoffer personalized shipping
experiences.
Recommendations based onbrowser history, targeted ads
and easy-to-navigate interfaceshave made online shopping more
intuitive and even enjoyable.
Plus, the overhead costs aregenerally lower for e-commerce
(02:42):
business, right, there's no needfor any physical storefront.
Any inventory can often bemanaged more efficiently and
effectively.
But it's not all smooth sailingfor either model.
Brick and mortar facechallenges, just like high rent
(03:02):
maintenance costs, the impact ofeconomic downfalls, and also
e-commerce, on the other hand,has to deal with cyber security
issues, shipping logistics andthe lack of physical interaction
.
For brick and mortar stores,creating an online presence can
(03:23):
help mitigate some of thesechallenges.
Offering online ordering or astrong social media presence can
attract more customers and, forthe e-commerce business, pop-up
shops showcases can providethat physical interaction that
(03:45):
customers crave.
It's about blending the best ofboth worlds.
Innovation is key, right,whether it's through unique
in-store experience orcutting-edge technology.
Online businesses need to adaptand evolve to stay competitive.
(04:09):
Either way right.
Looking ahead, I think we'll seemore integrations between the
two Omnichannel strategies thatprovide seamless shopping
experiences across both physicaland digital platforms are
becoming increasingly popular.
(04:32):
Technology will continue todrive change.
Augmented reality, for example,can enhance both online and
in-store shoppingping experienceby allowing customers To
visualize products In their ownspace.
That's awesome, andsustainability will be a major
(04:55):
focus, major focus, let me saythat again.
Sustainability will be a majorfocus.
Consumers are becoming moreconscious of their environment
impact, pushing businesses toadapt greener practices.
We can attest to that, glowcandles can attest to that.
(05:16):
It's an exciting time for bothbrick and mortar and e-commerce
businesses.
I just want to touch on thisreal quick because you know, at
this time, right now 2024, yousee a change.
You see a change.
Everybody sees the change Inhow Shopping Is done, how it
(05:42):
affects us mentally.
You know the hassle of like,say, like Black Friday, going
into a store.
Now you don't even have to dealwith that, right, you can just
sit at home and order All yourChristmas shopping and holiday
shopping right online.
So I want to touch on that justto start a conversation about
(06:09):
the differences and the thingsthat are alike in those two
business platforms.
And I wanted to include ourcandle business as one of those
e-commerce businesses because wedon't have a storefront.
(06:31):
We rely strictly on our onlinepresence for specific reasons.
But I can see now that a lot ofbrick and mortar stores,
especially for small businesses,they're coming back.
They're coming back right.
Some of the big name brandsthey're closing a lot of stores
(06:55):
and the small businesses Withlittle shops.
I think they're here.
I think they're on the rise.
I've always thought that Forthe last five years or so and
you know, I don't know wherewe're going to go yet we haven't
touched on exactly how we'regoing to navigate the next five,
ten years.
(07:15):
But as a small business owner,I would say, keeping our mind
focused on how brick and mortarsor small businesses navigate
through this is going to be atthe forefront for us in the next
five years, of course.
So I just wanted to touch onthat real quick and if anybody
(07:37):
out there any small businessowners, e-commerce, brick and
mortar would like to come on tothe show and discuss this more
and tell us about theirexperience, feel free to get in
touch with us and come onenjoying the podcast and we
could discuss it more about yourexperience podcast and we could
discuss it more about yourexperience.
(07:59):
It's an exciting time for bothright Right now.
I just want to say thank youfor listening, for tuning in to
Business Unblock.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave us a review.
Until next time, keep exploringand innovating.
(08:20):
We're out.
Bye, thank you, thank you.
Welcome back to Not Just Candle Talk, where we
explore the ins and outs oftoday's dynamic business
landscapes, today's business.
Today we're going to dive intoa hot topic brick and mortar
versus e-commerce.
Let's start with the brick andmortar businesses.
(00:22):
These are your traditionalstorefronts, shops, cafes and
other physical locations wherecustomers can walk in, browse,
make a purchase.
Brick and mortars have beenaround for centuries.
Right, create a tangibleshopping experience that
e-commerce often struggle toreciprocate, experience that
(00:49):
e-commerce often struggle toreciprocate.
Brick and mortars offer thatpersonal touch.
Right, customers can physicallyinteract with products, get
immediate assistance and enjoythe overall experience of a
store.
Okay, it's a sensory experiencethat's hard to beat.
It really is.
These businesses often serve ascommunity hubs.
(01:11):
Think about your favoritecoffee shop or your local
bookstore.
They provide a sense of placeand belonging that a website
just can't match.
And, let's not forget, theycontribute to the local economy
by providing jobs and alsosupporting other local
businesses throughoutpartnerships and purchases.
(01:33):
Now let's talk about e-commerce.
In recent years, online shoppinghas exploded in popularity.
Okay, with the convenience ofbrowsing and buying from
anywhere in the world,e-commerce has, uh,
revolutionized, uh, how we shop.
E-commerce offers unmatchedconvenience.
(01:55):
Uh, you can shop 24, 7 couldcompare prices easily easily and
have products delivered rightto your doorstep, right.
It's a game changer for busypeople and those living in
remote areas, and, with theadvancements in technology,
(02:18):
e-commerce platforms can nowoffer personalized shipping
experiences.
Recommendations based onbrowser history, targeted ads
and easy-to-navigate interfaceshave made online shopping more
intuitive and even enjoyable.
Plus, the overhead costs aregenerally lower for e-commerce
(02:42):
business, right, there's no needfor any physical storefront.
Any inventory can often bemanaged more efficiently and
effectively.
But it's not all smooth sailingfor either model.
Brick and mortar facechallenges, just like high rent
(03:02):
maintenance costs, the impact ofeconomic downfalls, and also
e-commerce, on the other hand,has to deal with cyber security
issues, shipping logistics andthe lack of physical interaction
.
For brick and mortar stores,creating an online presence can
(03:23):
help mitigate some of thesechallenges.
Offering online ordering or astrong social media presence can
attract more customers and, forthe e-commerce business, pop-up
shops showcases can providethat physical interaction that
(03:45):
customers crave.
It's about blending the best ofboth worlds.
Innovation is key, right,whether it's through unique
in-store experience orcutting-edge technology.
Online businesses need to adaptand evolve to stay competitive.
(04:09):
Either way right.
Looking ahead, I think we'll seemore integrations between the
two Omnichannel strategies thatprovide seamless shopping
experiences across both physicaland digital platforms are
becoming increasingly popular.
(04:32):
Technology will continue todrive change.
Augmented reality, for example,can enhance both online and
in-store shoppingping experienceby allowing customers To
visualize products In their ownspace.
That's awesome, andsustainability will be a major
(04:55):
focus, major focus, let me saythat again.
Sustainability will be a majorfocus.
Consumers are becoming moreconscious of their environment
impact, pushing businesses toadapt greener practices.
We can attest to that, glowcandles can attest to that.
(05:16):
It's an exciting time for bothbrick and mortar and e-commerce
businesses.
I just want to touch on thisreal quick because you know, at
this time, right now 2024, yousee a change.
You see a change.
Everybody sees the change Inhow Shopping Is done, how it
(05:42):
affects us mentally.
You know the hassle of like,say, like Black Friday, going
into a store.
Now you don't even have to dealwith that, right, you can just
sit at home and order All yourChristmas shopping and holiday
shopping right online.
So I want to touch on that justto start a conversation about
(06:09):
the differences and the thingsthat are alike in those two
business platforms.
And I wanted to include ourcandle business as one of those
e-commerce businesses because wedon't have a storefront.
(06:31):
We rely strictly on our onlinepresence for specific reasons.
But I can see now that a lot ofbrick and mortar stores,
especially for small businesses,they're coming back.
They're coming back right.
Some of the big name brandsthey're closing a lot of stores
(06:55):
and the small businesses Withlittle shops.
I think they're here.
I think they're on the rise.
I've always thought that Forthe last five years or so and
you know, I don't know wherewe're going to go yet we haven't
touched on exactly how we'regoing to navigate the next five,
ten years.
(07:15):
But as a small business owner,I would say, keeping our mind
focused on how brick and mortarsor small businesses navigate
through this is going to be atthe forefront for us in the next
five years, of course.
So I just wanted to touch onthat real quick and if anybody
(07:37):
out there any small businessowners, e-commerce, brick and
mortar would like to come on tothe show and discuss this more
and tell us about theirexperience, feel free to get in
touch with us and come onenjoying the podcast and we
could discuss it more about yourexperience podcast and we could
discuss it more about yourexperience.
(07:59):
It's an exciting time for bothright Right now.
I just want to say thank youfor listening, for tuning in to
Business Unblock.
Don't forget to subscribe andleave us a review.
Until next time, keep exploringand innovating.
(08:20):
We're out.
Bye, thank you, thank you.
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