The e-commerce channel is pretty well established in his importance while defining a successful marketing mix in a corporate strategy, with the aim to serve customers with an omni-channel approach.

Lululemon store

While digital economy gathers high attention from all corporate players, big and top trend setters are investing relevant resources into brick and mortar stores that express clearly an ambitious omni-channel strategy. Lululemon is a good example (while experiencing some troubles, though): traditional stores selling fashionable athletic apparel, turn into community centred locations with in-store yoga lessons and the Run Club involving neighbourhood runners in training schedules, competitions and team building events.

Apple showed the world how to build a successful network of stores that work as a milestone showcase opportunity for its products and a strategic aggregation place for the creative iteration with a customer audience that relies on a strong brand identity and added value.

Amazon bookstore

Amazon, meanwhile, plays it hard investing in brick and mortar bookstores that aren’t only pop up shops, but traditional selling locations where you can touch and feel its key  products like Echo or Kindle and personally understand their features and development in the continuous releases and updates.

Therefore e-commerce impact on companies turnover shows a confused framework, at least in Europe, where member states experience pretty different trends and approach to the omni channel strategy. The chart below shows UK as a best performer, Germany, France and Spain with an average turnover share on e-commerce, and Italy struggling to catch up. It’s pretty significant to assess the e-commerce performance level of the above mentioned countries that account for the greatest part of European export.

E-commerce share on turnover (%): EU28 average vs Italy, UK, France, Spain (Eurostat)