E-Commerce Evolution Reinforces the Role of Brick-and-Mortar Retail
March 2026 | Category: News
By Amy C. Serafino The rise of e-commerce has undeniably transformed the retail industry, but contrary to early predictions, it has not made physical stores obsolete. Instead, the continued growth of online shopping has pushed both traditional and digital-first retailers to rethink their physical presence, ushering in a new, hybrid era of retail that has significant implications for commercial real estate. Over the past several years, and particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic, commercial landlords, developers, and tenants have had to adjust to the evolving expectations of consumers. In many cases, those adjustments have included a renewed emphasis on flexibility, location strategy, and the logistics of last-mile fulfillment. The Emergence of Hybrid Retail Models In response to shifting consumer habits, many traditional retailers have adapted by implementing services such as curbside pickup, buy-online-pickup-in-store (BOPIS), and same-day delivery from store locations. These services, which experienced rapid growth during the pandemic, continue to thrive and are now […]