Not long ago “brick and mortar” was a construction technique, not a business phrase.
Business – from shoe sales to automobiles – was conducted in person. Buyers and sellers had face-to-face conversations, in the same room discussing terms and transactions, live and in person. There was nothing virtual about shops, stores, malls and offices.
For centuries, businesses functioned around this fundamental truth. The Industrial Age brought new processes and standards for efficiency and refined organization structures and distribution channels to sell products. Sales and marketing had well defined roles.
Then came digital, and it has disrupted more than we’ve recognized.
