'Brick mining' cited as rationale for operating physical stores

Retailers like Nordstrom are experimenting with smaller locations that function more like showrooms for their online inventory than traditional stores. The strategy makes a lot of sense for physical retailers that are ramping up their online businesses. But the online athleisure retailer, Fabletics, looks at operating physical outlets from a different perspective. “We call it brick mining,” Ron Harries, Fabletics’ vice president of retail, told Marketplace. “When you take the data that you collect from that customer in a retail location, you can get to know your members and guests much differently than you could online only.”