You’ve probably heard the term Showrooming – that’s when prospective buyers visit “bricks and mortar” stores to touch and feel products then often leave empty handed to later buy the same product online at the cheapest possible price and have it delievered. For may retailers – that has become a troublesome issue that they seem powerless to overcome.

Oh how the tables have started to turn… Webrooming is growing wildly. What, do you ask, is Webrooming? Well, many of us (myself certainly included) prefer the human touch and really appreciate the comfort in shopping, buying and taking home the product we’re after. Yes, sometimes traffic, schedules, and even higher prices may be a disincentive – yet for many, its a premium worth paying.

The knack of ingenious merchants who are able to offer a valued shopping experience and overcome price pressures, the exceptional experience of an online merchant who can allay the concerns and appease those preferring traditional purchasing… these are the merchants with the greatest potential.

Check out the greatly presented infographic from MerchantWarehouse covering this chasm of shopping preferences:

UPDATE: MerchantWarehouse was sold and their infographic has been removed. Here is another relevant article from Shopify.