Online store vs. physical store has been one the most argued debates in today’s business world. We’ve had a Physical store owner tell us, “There’s nothing like waking up in the morning and starting your day by going to your store every day. Having something you can call your own and a place that unites you with your customers. That feeling is priceless.”
Someone also told us that, “Online sales are unpredictable, but if you have a Physical store and are present every day, there’s no way you would not make daily sales.”
However, there was another online and e-commerce store owner who told us, “Having an online store was the best decision I made. I didn’t need to go through the hustle of finding a store in a good location or spend more renting a store. Yes, you have to put in extra effort, but with my phone, having product photos and showing up consistently, I’ve built my online store into a profitable business.”
These are all the stories we’ve heard over the years relating to a wide range of business owners. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. The best choice depends on your product, target market, growth goals, and operational capacity. Based on our portfolio of businesses all over the world, we’d like to help you decide on which one is best for you and end this “online store vs. physical store” debate once and for all.
Online Store vs. Physical Store: What are the Pros and Cons?
To help understand the dynamics of how Online store vs. physical store works, let’s break down the pros and cons of both.
Online Store.
Selling online gives you access to a global market with fewer overhead costs. Having an online presence helps you reach millions of people from where you are. Whether it’s through your website, social media, or platforms like Jumia, Amazon, Konga, or Shopify, going digital means:
Pros:
- Low startup costs: No store rent, utility bills, or large staff needed.
- Global reach: You can sell to customers across cities, countries, and continents.
- 24/7 accessibility: Your store never closes as long as you are online.
- Easy data tracking: You can easily analyze customer behaviours and sales in real-time.
Cons:
- Logistics Challenge: logistics and fulfillment can be complex.
- Competition: Tougher competition online due to the endless number of businesses online.
- Customer Relationship: Building trust with new customers can take time because you are not seeing them physically.
- Strong Digital Marketing: Requires solid and consistent digital marketing to stand out amidst the crowd.
- Low sales: Some customers would likely want to see the products before payment or prefer payment on delivery which can lead to low sales.
- Business is dependent on Ecommerce Platforms: Most businesses depend on Ecommerce platforms that if they shut down or go offline, their business will also shut down leading to incurring losses.
Physical Store
A physical store allows you to connect with customers face-to-face and give them a real-world experience of your product.
Pros:
- Customers can touch, feel, and test products before buying.
- Stronger brand visibility in local areas.
- Easier to build customer trust.
- Great for impulse buying and upselling.
Cons:
- Higher costs: You’ll have to constantly pay rent, staff salaries, utility, and maintenance bills.
- Limited reach: You’re confined to your store’s location. If no one comes to your store, you won’t sell.
- Less flexibility in scaling quickly.
- Can be disrupted by external factors like weather, violence, or political unrest.
Which Is Best for You? Online Store or Physical Store?
Now that you know the pros and cons of online store vs. physical store, to figure out which one is best for you, ask yourself: Do I want to grow fast with less cost, or do I want face-to-face interaction?
If what you want is to scale fast with moderate cost, then go Online.
However, if you have a strong local presence and need in-person interaction, then go Physical.
You can also do both. Many businesses with physical stores have had to go online to leverage all the advantages of online sales. And businesses who have scaled online, have had to launch their physical store to enhance customer relationships and real-time product trials.
But here is a better option, Instead of small businesses being limited by the four walls of a physical store or the complexity of online operations; BNP fulfillment centre acts as a powerful engine behind the scenes, helping you sell anywhere, anytime without all the stress, involved in both physical and online stores; and you can monitor your inventory from anywhere in the world, without being physically present.
Let’s show you how BNP fulfilment solutions can help no matter what you choose.
How BoxnPick Fulfillment Center Helps Small Businesses Better than Just Online and Physical Stores.
No matter what, where, or how you sell, logistics and inventory management are the heart of your success. That’s where BoxnPick comes in. We offer smart and flexible fulfillment and warehousing solutions designed to support online and physical stores alike.
- Faster and Smarter Growth
Online stores can struggle with shipping delays and stockouts while physical stores are limited by foot traffic and location. BNP Fulfillment Center gives you nationwide access and also global reach with fast delivery, helping you grow without needing a store, paying utility bills or new website investment.
- Easy Expansion Without Extra Investment
If you are a business owner in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Benin, Enugu etc. and you have clients in Abuja; BoxnPick fulfillment gives you a branch in Abuja at little or no cost. Your clients can now enjoy same day, next day delivery, and can even pick up directly at the fulfillment center. You can now save a lot on waybill charges.
- Save money, Lower Costs and Higher Profits
Physical stores need rent, staff salaries, and utilities while online stores still need to manage warehouses, packaging, and shipping. BNP Fulfillment handles storage, picking, packing, and delivery, so you avoid high overhead and can focus your money on marketing and growing sales.
- Seamless Customer Experience
Customers expect same-day or next-day delivery, which is often hard to achieve alone.
With our Boxnpick logistics network, you can deliver faster and more reliably than your competitors. Our Fulfillment team handles customer inquiries about your products, keeping customers happy and loyal.
- Inventory Control Without the Hassle
Managing stock manually (whether in-store or at home) causes mistakes, losses, and stress.
However, BNP fulfillment center offers real-time inventory tracking so you know exactly what you have, what’s selling fast, and when to restock, all from your dashboard.
- Professional Packaging and Fulfillment
Packaging badly at home? too risky! BoxPick ensures professional packing, labeling, with your branding materials to maintain brand experience and offer doorstep delivery, boosting your brand image and reducing returns.
- Freedom to Focus on Sales and Growth
Managing logistics eats up your time if you’re doing it alone. But with BoxnPick fulfillment, you free up time to focus on selling, building your brand, getting new customers, and growing your business.
- Enjoy free time and Work smarter
Opening another physical location? Expensive. Scaling online sales to other countries? Complicated. With BNP fulfillment center, you can scale up easily by storing more inventory or tapping into new markets through our fulfillment network currently in Jabi, Abuja and Texas, USA underway. There’s no need to open more stores or hire more people. Now you have more free time and yet are working smarter! It’s important to note that not all products are accepted at the fulfillment centre.
- More Visibility and sales
BoxPick fulfillment creates engaging campaigns for your products that automatically gives you sales and visibility. Your products are listed on various marketplace to boost your sales.
Ready to Scale Smarter?
Whether you’re building an online empire, growing a chain of physical stores, or blending both; BNP Fulfillment is what you need.
With or without a physical or online store; With us, you sell more with less.
Let’s talk about how our fulfillment center can work for you. Send us a direct message here.
