Retailers Turn 'Showrooming' Into Innovation Opportunity

A store in Australia made headlines earlier this year for charging consumers $5 to just walk through the door. The decision was made following the growth of "showrooming," a familiar concept when a person heads into a physical store to check out merchandise before finding the same product at a cheaper price online. Thanks to free shipping and returns, as well as low or no taxes — hello, Amazon — it makes sense for consumers to do online price comparisons before making a purchase.