Will VR Make Brick And Mortar Redundant?

Probably not — but rising rent, slowing foot traffic, and eCommerce might. Most small businesses don’t operate anywhere near peak efficiency and many missed the boat in the first two battles of the digital revolution: websites, and purchasing on mobile.

Consumers are becoming busier. They’re working more hours and struggling to meet goals as to-do lists overflow. All this leads to less down time, fewer hours in the week to take a detour on our way home. There’s less exploration of our physical space and fewer people know what’s going on in their communities. This is bad for brick and mortar businesses.

These same small businesses risk missing out on AR and VR, the next evolution of our shopping experience. While nothing happens over night the lack of preparation for these technologies is troubling. Complex supply-chains, purchasing behaviors, and inventory management processes (just to name a few) will all have to adapt to a further decentralized consumer experience.

While big box retailers and large businesses will always have a leg up, but independent retailers and their close vendor partners need to work together to ensure they can take advantage of the efficiencies that come from a quasi-integrated business model. These are complex issues that require trust. A consortium of small business retailers interested in partnering with a small mix of independent vendors doesn’t happen overnight or even within a year — but this is what it takes when structural change comes to an industry.

ShopKetti makes it easy for retailers to purchase the inventory they need directly from the brands they know and love. Explore the community and join for free at shopketti.com.