The handwriting is on the wall.
If you have an established “brick & mortar” specialty
store you are facing a fast-growing disadvantage.
You are limited to the traffic generated by your physical
location and the percentage of that location’s demographic that is your target customer.
The online retailers do not have those same limitations.
You pay premium rent for good retail locations. The online retailer can work out
of much less costly commercial space.
You have limited space in which to present fashion merchandise
attractively. Web space is virtually unlimited.
Each of your sales is more labor intensive than is theirs.
Their lower infrastructure cost percentage frees them to spend more on inventory and online marketing.
It allows them to take timely markdowns which, of course, improves their
inventory turn allowing them to bring in new, fresh merchandise.