Brick and Mortar

“Brick and mortar” refers to all physical retail stores and traditional commerce businesses. By definition, brick and mortar is the opposite of "pure player," which refers to businesses that operate exclusively on the internet.

To make this explanation more relatable, let's take an example...

Walmart was initially a brick-and-mortar business. It distributed its products only through physical stores. It wasn't until later that it decided to venture into online sales.

This is just one of many brick-and-mortar retail companies that have gradually developed into “brick-and-click" or "click-and-mortar" businesses, allowing shoppers to buy via their online store or their physical locations. Some wholesale brands have also begun implementing this model as well.

Today, Walmart still operates its traditional stores alongside its online sales activities. As a result, it has a cross-channel strategy that offers customers numerous purchasing options.

On the other hand, online marketplace Etsy is a pure player with no physical stores. Amazon was also a pure player, but the company has started to open physical stores.