From Asia to Americas, the rapid shift to e-commerce is resulting in a rash of store closures and a move to smaller-footprint and more flexible store functions. According to Deloitte, “Beyond serving as brand-building and customer acquisition channels, brick & mortars are now developing a new purpose. They serve as cross-channel fulfilment centres, pickup points for online orders and a convenient place for returns or exchanges”.
In Europe, the most advanced players are the U.K. specialised...