Even internet giants such as Amazon are exploring the traditional concept to give consumers the ability to see, touch, and feel the products, as well as getting their brands out there to a different audience. Apple is going gangbusters with their retail stores. This seems a little counterintuitive as I continue to read articles such as this one that are giving tips on how to lure shoppers back to retail stores.
This approach probably would not be a good idea for small online shopping sites however for the big brands it could work. Besides Amazon has big bucks so even if their brick-n-mortar experiment fails it won’t break their bank. It seems to be working for specialty retailers such as Warby Parker and Bonobos so it might work for Amazon as well.