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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Clicks and mortar describes a business that sells through both internet channels and physical locations. A retailer with an online shop and a storefront fits the term; it does not have to offer a particular service such as in-store pickup.
What does clicks and mortar mean?
The phrase combines “clicks,” a reference to using computers and the internet, with “mortar,” from the traditional expression “bricks and mortar.” Collins defines a clicks-and-mortar business as one that combines traditional trading methods with internet trading. Collins English Dictionary also lists the phrase as a 20th-century pun on “bricks and mortar.”
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The essential feature is having both an online and a physical retail presence. The term does not specify how closely those channels must be connected: a business might simply sell through a website and stores, or coordinate product information, orders, inventory, and fulfillment between them.
How is it different from brick-and-mortar and online-only retail?
| Retail model | Where it sells |
|---|---|
| Brick-and-mortar only | Physical locations |
| Online-only | Internet channels |
| Clicks and mortar | Both internet channels and physical locations |
The distinction is about the channels a retailer uses, not whether its website and stores share a checkout system or stock records. Those operational choices vary from one business to another.
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What are examples of clicks-and-mortar retail?
- A shopper finds a product on a retailer’s website, then visits a store to see or buy it.
- A customer orders online and collects the purchase at a physical location.
- A shopper buys in a store and arranges for the item to be delivered to their home.
- A customer discovers a product online, then visits a showroom before deciding whether to purchase.
These are possible ways to connect online and in-person shopping, not requirements of the definition. A business can qualify simply by operating both kinds of channel.
How integrated do the two channels need to be?
There is no single integration level built into the label. One retailer may keep its online and in-store operations mostly separate. Another may let customers move between channels—for example, by checking stock online, ordering for pickup, or arranging delivery after an in-store purchase.
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When describing a particular business, specify what it actually offers rather than assuming that “clicks and mortar” means a seamless or unified shopping experience. The phrase alone does not establish shared inventory, cross-channel returns, pickup, or any other specific capability.
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What should a retailer consider before using both channels?
Operating online and in physical locations can give customers more ways to discover and buy products, but maintaining both also requires investment and coordination. The useful questions are practical:
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- Customer experience: What does each channel help customers do, and do the available options match what they want?
- Operations: Can the business manage stock, orders, and fulfillment across channels at the level it promises?
- Cost and attention: Can it support both channels without stretching resources so thin that service suffers?
Having both channels is not, by itself, a guarantee of higher profits. A 2006 theoretical study by Fernando Bernstein, Sang-Hyun Song, and Xiaohang Zheng found that a dual-channel structure did not necessarily imply higher firm profits in the model it examined; its results should not be treated as a universal forecast for retailers. Read the working paper.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Are there other forms of the phrase?
Related forms include “click-and-mortar,” “clicks and bricks,” and “bricks and clicks.” Dictionary.com records “click-and-mortar” as a variant and gives 1995–2000 as the first-recorded period for “clicks-and-mortar.” That is a dictionary’s recorded period, not proof of the exact date the phrase was coined.
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