“Brick, click and flip” describes a retailer that sells through a physical store, an ecommerce site and a printed catalog. The catalog is the distinguishing “flip” channel: customers can browse it and then order online, by mail or by telephone.
What each part of “brick, click and flip” means
- Brick: A physical retail shop or stores.
- Click: Ecommerce, including a website; Sparkstone’s 2012 explanation also includes mobile commerce websites and apps.
- Flip: A printed catalog or other tangible marketing material that helps customers discover products.
The catalog is not necessarily where a customer completes a purchase. It can introduce products before the customer orders through the website, by mail or by phone.
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How it differs from brick-and-click
Both models combine physical retail and online shopping. Brick-and-click does not require a catalog; brick, click and flip adds a printed or otherwise tangible product-discovery channel.
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| Retail model | Physical store | Online or mobile commerce | Printed catalog or tangible marketing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brick-and-click | Yes | Yes | Not required |
| Brick, click and flip | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Why use a catalog alongside a store and website?
A printed piece gives customers a tangible way to browse products while the store and website offer other ways to shop. Resilient Profit Partners’ 2018 article presents this as a potential discovery benefit, not a measured guarantee of higher sales. It also notes the added expense of operating a physical location, a website and printed marketing; those costs will vary by retailer.
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Examples in older explanations
Sparkstone’s September 2012 explainer named Next, Wilkinson and Tesco as examples. Resilient Profit Partners’ June 2018 article discussed Trader Joe’s “Fearless Flyer” and cited a 24-page monthly flyer, as well as a 12-page personalized Simple Truth catalog. These are examples from those publications, not confirmation of the retailers’ current channel mix or evidence that the catalog improved sales.
One glossary from Resilient Profit Partners gives “WAMBAM” as an alternate expression. That is a glossary-specific variant, not an established standard term.
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