Primark is a phenomenon. I assume it's not difficult to replicate its parts so it must be very well run. The absence of an online presence is remarkable and perhaps it's very clever.
There's a tendency to think that online is automatically more profitable than bricks and mortar because bricks and mortar cost a lot. But online also has its challenges, and costly burdens - AO.com has done well at building market share, is entirely online, but has yet to make a profit. It's just closed its Netherlands business to concentrate on fixing other parts of the business.
Clicks and bricks work well together. I remember when what retailers feared and expected was that consumers would go to their shops to research their purchases and then go and buy online from someone else. No doubt that happens. What they found more commonly was that for large durables especially computers, TVs and appliances, over half of their customers buying in store had first researched online, including visiting the retailer's own website. That was the catalyst for click-and-collect.
I do however think that the next phase will be dominated by internet sales growth.
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