European consumers ready for the stores of the future: study

Over the coming years, e-commerce will not replace brick-and-mortar stores but will continue to challenge them — this is the primary conclusion of a report published Feb 6 by the Observatoire Cetelem, a research institute devoted to the study of European consumer behaviour trends. 

In a large-scale survey spanning 12 European countries, the institute found that — notwithstanding the rapid growth of online retail — many consumers have no intention of giving up on traditional stores. But that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement on the old brick-and-mortar model.