Bricks to clicks and town centres

I was looking back at a previous post about the changing shape of high street shopping.  "Bricks-and-clicks" integrates offline (bricks) and online (clicks) presences.

For example a store chain may allow a user to order products online, and the have the product ready pick up at a local store.

A store may have displays locally from which a customer can then order an item electronically for delivery to their home.

An article I read at the start of the month talked about how John Lewis could have spotted a gap in the retail market. Simon Russell, head of multi-channel sales for the partnership, thinks that improving the “click and collect” experience – that of customers who buy online but collect in-store – could be a big selling point for John Lewis, which has started to roll out collections to Waitrose stores and hopes to add further partners. Bracknell-based Waitrose is the food division of John Lewis.

Another retail website says that with 60% of phones sold today being smartphones, and more users likely to connect to the internet via mobile devices than desktop PCs within five years, retailers are rushing into m-commerce with alacrity. Apps have been big news.

One wonders whether Waitrose will be taking further advantage of these systems in Bracknell.
http://www.propertyweek.com/news/waitrose-to-sign-ahead-of-bracknell-regeneration/5009165.article