Here is a text about the business model called ‘bricks and clicks’. Read it to find out how it works and do the exercises below.

Tomasz Wiśniewski Bricks and Clicks

The Business Model

Bricks and clicksbricks and clicks (idiom) Bricks and clicks is an increasingly popular business modelbusiness modelbusiness model among retailers worldwide. Its principle is simple: retail stores offer goods directly on their shelves but also on the web. Such offline and online presenceoffline and online presenceoffline and online presence has many (1)________ : the customers can buy products from the confines of their homes without having to leave them, feeling much safer and more (2)________ . They can use their computers, tablets or phone appsphone apps [phone app]phone apps to browse the offer and place an order, which makes it very convenientconvenientconvenient. It is also beneficial to the retailersretailers [retailer]retailers, as it offers them much better sales opportunitiessales opportunities [sales opportunity]sales opportunities through diverse channels and allows them to sell part of their wareswareswares without incurringIncurring [incur]incurring logisticslogisticslogistics and supply chainsupply chainsupply chain costs. The name ‘bricks and clicks’ comes from a brick and mortar storebrick and mortar storebrick and mortar store – an actual, (3)________ building, and a ‘click’, which symbolises the act of buying goods online. Such business model has many variations:

● Home deliveryhome deliveryHome delivery

Typical of pizza restaurants, this way of purchasing is based on ordering goods over the internet with a (4)________ dropping the parcelparcelparcel off at your home.

● Click and collectclick and collectClick and collect (at‑store‑pickup)

This model is very popular in Great Britain. It comprises an online cataloguecataloguecatalogue or virtual showroomvirtual showroomvirtual showroom where clients can browse the merchandisemerchandisemerchandise at their own place, complete the order, and then conveniently pick it up at the store without (5)________ time in it.

● Curbside pickupcurbside pickupCurbside pickup

This relatively new, increasingly popular model of ordering goods online came with the arrival of the Covid‑19 pandemic and social distancingsocial distancingsocial distancing practices. The customers who do not want to go inside the store or meet the shop assistantshop assistantshop assistant, for example because they are afraid of the virus, can order online and then pick up the products at the curbcurbcurb of the retail shop, packed and ready to go.

The Future

Will such a model overthrowoverthrowoverthrow traditional shops? After all, the big online retailers are making immense amounts of money, with their revenuesrevenues [revenue]revenues reaching levels as high as those of entire countries. The good old brick and mortar stores do seem to be at risk. Experts, however, say that their complete obsolescenceobsolescenceobsolescence will not happen anytime soon. For some products, sales can be (6)________ online to a large extent; yet, there will always be a need to go to a shop and see, (7)________, and smell the goods that customers want to buy.

1 Źródło: Tomasz Wiśniewski, licencja: CC BY-SA 3.0.