Amazon: Merging Digital and Physical Worlds for Market Growth


Retail shopping models had long been considered binary – either e-commerce or bricks & mortar – but in practice we observe a broad spectrum between these two extremes.  This case explores the many hybrid models emerging like ordering online and picking up in-store (Walmart’s Grocery Pickup), shopping in-store and ordering online (Warby Parker and Bonobos made their name in this space – largely facilitating the showroom behavior of consumers), digitally-enhanced physical shopping (several companies hold patents in this space with virtual reality promising to push this model), and many others.