6 Ways to Combat Showrooming

More and more shoppers, armed with smartphones, are going to brick-and-mortar outlets to examine and evaluate merchandise, and then buying the product they want online, often while they're still in the store, to get a better deal. The practice is known as "showrooming," an apt term because it effectively transforms mall outlets and big box stores into showrooms for their online competitors. Brick-and-mortar retailers of every size and in every category are asking themselves how to avoid becoming victims of this trend, but the unfortunate truth is that in today's retail environment some degree of showrooming is inevitable.