Digital Marketing and the Retail Landscape: An Essay

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The Digital Landscape
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Assignment 1a.................................................................................................................................4
Discussion....................................................................................................................................4
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................9
Reference List................................................................................................................................10
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Introduction
The advent of technological advancement has ushered in growth in profitability for business
organizations (Turban et al., 2008). Digitalization has become the norm and has been adopted by
famous companies like Apple, Amazon and so forth. The aim of the essay is to assess the ways
digital marketing has brought in improvements in the business world. It will take into account the
use of the marketing efforts undertaken by the businesses for the growth and the productivity of
services aided to the clients. It will elucidate an understanding on the concept of digital
marketing and its influence over the young shoppers and the significance of the digitalization in
the sector of retailing.
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Assignment 1a
Discussion
1. Does the growth in ‘online shopping’ mean extinction of the typical ‘high street store’?
The growth of online shopping has taken a significant hit for among the young shoppers and
influenced them to opt for better means of service purchase. According to the recent video on
introduction of Amazon in the city of New York, USA, the company has taken the prime decision
of going brick-and mortar for the first time (YouTube, 2019). This shows that online shopping
has surpassed and excelled in its operations by going ‘click and brick’, in its business operations
(YouTube, 2019). The digital shoppers in the USA, was 209.6 million in 2016 and would be
rising by 230.5 by the year 2021(Statista, 2019). The consumers have become efficient and tech-
savvy and adopted the use of mobile shopping.
In the recent interview on the significance of the brick and mortar and its challenges in the
growth of online shopping, it was observed that typical high street stores like Macy’s were given
the hardest hits against the growth of online shopping. 28% businesses are being able to sell their
sales, but are unable to take over a huge growth of the internet sales. With the rise, in online
shopping, there has been a negative takeover the brick-and mortar stores, while other brands such
as Walmart, Amazon continue to develop their business and improve their service productivity.
The year 2017 saw the closure of 6300 stores that saw the death of retail marketing (Fox
Business, 2019). Therefore, this proves that online shopping has taken a toll over the typical high
street stores.
According to the IBM essay, (2019) the presence of online shopping will boost up by ten
percent, while the retail will take a hit by 6 percent. In contradiction to these predictions, IBM
essay also explicitly states that consumers are propelled to still go into physical high street stores
to shop in for tangible items related to shopping and beauty products. Therefore, companies such
as Rhone, a physical premium active wear for men have decided to go physical rather than
continue their e-commerce sales. This portrays, although online shopping has posed a
challenging situation to high street shops, companies like Amazon, Target are still up and
evolving. Therefore, with the growth of internet sales, have taken a prominent hit and taken a toll
over high street shops for American shoppers (Nabot et al., 2018).
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2. Examine the various models, ‘clicks’, ‘bricks’, bricks & click’, clicks &bricks. What if
any is the most suitable?
There are various business models, that have been up and evolving with bringing in
improvement among the businesses. The term’ clicks’ refers to the tech-savvy young population
that makes the use of mobile shopping. There are an estimated amount of young shoppers that
are better influenced by the trends and the ease of accessibility they procure by mobile shopping.
‘Bricks’ are the traditional store outlets that portray the products and services without having an
outlet to digital portrayal.
The business models such as ‘click and brick’ and ‘bricks and click’ refers to the existence of a
retail outlet on both online platform and digital platform. These business models are most
suitable and are important and relevant for the functioning of the consumer using various trends
and other upcoming factor, that affect consumer behaviorism. A consumer is more inclined to
make the use of ‘brick- and –click-mortar store than a click-and brick, click or brick mortar
stores (YouTube, 2019). It offers the customers with the use of ease and accessibility and
improving their customized experience. (Bly et al., 2015)
The consumer being able to shop anywhere and everywhere has an impact on their growing
interest in the click and mortar stores. According to the ‘European retail in 2019’, GFK gives
an account of trends and developments in thirty European countries. The consumers find it more
less time consumption with the rise of the omni-channel retailing. Therefore, the business game
seems to be changing with the introduction of the brick-and-click retailers like Amazon and eBay
to investigate the high street businesses. There are young retailers that state, that they are likely
to shop from shops that have a physical presence. Therefore, it is increasingly important to
integrate the use of brick-and-click mortar stores, which are important for the regulation of the
business. The generation of young shoppers prefers the use of seamless shopping experience and
consumers agree that the online stores should consist of and customer in support service in case
of damage or product related queries. Therefore, the click-and brick mortar store have got in
more prominence than the other companies that are up and increasing due to the use of an online
and seamless experience and getting to make the choice from a variety (Faulds et al ., 2018).
3. We are increasingly hearing the term Omni-channel retailing what does this mean and
how can businesses exploit this phenomenon?
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The term’ Omni-channel retailing has gained prominence amongst the young shoplifters that are
easily impressed with ease and access to their favorite stores (started, 2019). Omni-channel
retailing is an integrated approach that takes into account the use of the both online and offline
shopping experience for the individual shoppers. It provides a unified and seamless experience
to the customers and provides them with a range and variety of experiences that are important for
the research. The omni-retailing takes into extends from its utility to brick and mortar stores
along with the mobile-browsing, social media retargeting , onsite storefronts and ecommerce
marketplaces.
As per calculated research, it has been found out that there are 22% North American retailers that
made Omni-channel retailing as their topmost business priority in the year 2019. In contrast to
2015, forty-five retailers claimed the same. The fluctuation in the business marketing sectors and
their introduction of the omni-channel retailing has brought into light that tangible products and
services are existent in the field of this business strategy (Mills, 2019). The customers will be
provided with a range of options, in order to fulfill their desire for a serious and good effort
towards the area of marketing.
The particular business can be exploited through the inculcation of merchandising, mobile
marketing and other considerable options and items. There can be exploitation by the business
through the utilization of this phenomenon, by providing the best shopping experience to the
shoppers both on the online and offline spree. The suppliers would be able to crack the code of
Omni-retailing by assessing its critical path for growth in the industries. With the emergence of
privatization, liberalization and globalization, there has been an imminent growth of the GDP,
which can be calculated for a better understanding of the business. The business organizations,
can exploit the resource, through the integration of explosive transformations, which has an
impact on targeting more young customers with sales and discounts that are available for the
business execution. With the exploration of the business and other services, the businesses are
being able to explore channels, such as the social media, technological, marketing and
merchandising efforts, which are useful for the business (Ey.com, 2019).
4. Why are online travel services such a popular internet application? Why do so many
websites provide free travel information?
Online travel service industry have been experiencing a boost in its business, as there are 42
million people that make the use of online service for making holiday related plans. According to
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a critical report, which was carried by ComScore an Internet analytics company, it was found
out, that performance of the online travel industries , were experiencing a boost ever since the ear
2015 (Cnbc, 2019). The online travelers are easily given proper access to the price features and
are able to account for the best decisions, which are important for the growth of the industry. The
customers mostly make the choice of booking on the brand sites. These are due to the loyalty
plans, which are offered by the travel agencies. There have been popular airlines such as Airbnb
that has experienced an imminent growth in the rise and the productivity of the services.
Therefore, online travel services are easily accessible and become a popular means of internet
application for the users. According to extensive CNCB reports, it was found out, that there were
around 180 million individuals that made the use of online booking services for the ease and the
better better features and customized options, which were offered to them.
The initiation of the internet has changed the phase of the marketing and introduced a digital and
stylized marketing for the companies. The travel agencies have started inculcating the portrayal
of free information for the websites and given an account of the businesses, which are useful for
the customers to get an understanding of services, which are important for the clients. The top
travelling websites such as Google, Kayak, Travelzoo, are such sites that provide free
information to grow their customer base and amend to their needs and demands (Hubner et al .,
2016). The travel websites are designed to lure the customers and improve and strengthen their
business phase. The travel websites are designed for the travel bugs that are able to make a
selection of the best places for travel (The Guardian, 2019). The online travel services are the
popular mode of interaction for the companies as it has reeled in better business prospects.
Therefore, companies and the interaction with the customers have been increasing on a wide
scale for the growth of the companies.
5. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of distributing digtisable products
electronically versus physically.
The era of digitalization has brought in the use of the electronic media for the fulfillment of the
rising needs and demands of the customers. There are comparable advantages and disadvantages
of the utilization of physical products as compared to the utilization of electronic and digitized
products. With the booming experience of e-commerce, physical products such as books, clothes
and toys have dominated the online sales markets. The digitized products such as eBooks, online
course, PDF’s and so forth make the portion of the e-commerce sales and exist in the form of an
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intangible asset. Therefore, the advantages of distribution of the digitized products electronically
are no investment in inventory. The onset of digital products does not require the storage and
inventory costs for the business. There are instant free delivery opportunities, which are
exhibited for the individuals. There is an ease in expansion and analysis of the particular
product. The businesses tend to be more competitive and profitable in the era of its business and
expansion. Similarly, there are pitfalls, which are experienced while selling digital products,
which are extra costs, long and complicated process, website errors and crash, slow delivery,
creation of online websites and so forth (Channelreply.com, 2019).
The services, that are provided to the individuals, physically also had its advantages and
disadvantages, which were associated with digital marketing industry. The physical products,
which were shipped by customers had low overhead costs, never out of stocks, huge profits, low
barriers to market entry, easy line of communication and easier to manage and deliver.
Similarly, there are comparative disadvantages of the sale of physical products to the consumers,
such as low quality goods, interference in the determination of ownership rights, less business
knowledge and so on. Therefore, by comparative analysis, it can be opined that the businesses
are affected more while making the sale of products physically. It is less likely to be affected by
the utilization of online deliveries and damages are less severe as compared to ones transported
physically.
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Conclusion
The essay has given relevance to the subject of business digital marketing and landscape, which
have influenced the retailers all over the world. It has brought into light the utilization of the
theories and marketing techniques that have been adopted by worldwide retailers. The retailing
business of the brick-and-mortar store has brought in a decline with the increase and boost in the
brick-and-click stores. This is used to give an account of the use and the understanding of the
retail business market in the US and their increase in the retail sector and business industries.
This has been critically stated for the understanding of the business, retail market.
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Reference List
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sustainable fashion consumption pioneers. International Journal of Consumer Studies, 39(2),
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Fox Business. (2019). In a graveyard of bricks and mortar retailers, e-commerce's Rhone gets
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retailing. Business Research, 9(2), pp.255-296.
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https://www.jacada.com/blog/the-advantages-of-omni-channel-retailing [Accessed 8 Jul. 2019].
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started, G. (2019). Omni-Channel Retailing: What Is Omni-Channel Commerce, Really?.
[online] Enterprise Ecommerce Blog - Enterprise Business Marketing, News, Tips & More.
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Statista. (2019). Number of digital shoppers in the U.S. 2021 | Statistic. [online] Available at:
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[Accessed 8 Jul. 2019].
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YouTube. (2019). Amazon to open its first brick-and-mortar store in New York City. [online]
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