Analyst CornerAnalyst Corner: The Shifting “Friction Gap” Between Stores and E-Commerce Is Benefitting Digital Channels, with John Mercer John Mercer, Head of Global Research and Managing Director of Data-Driven Research August 3, 2025 Reasons to ReadThis week, John Mercer, Head of Global Research and Managing Director of Data-Driven Research, discusses the “push and pull” effect we are witnessing, whereby digital channels are adding greater convenience as physical stores lose some of their competitive edge around convenience, service and immediacy. Analyst Corner also highlights our key research from the past week and upcoming reports to look out for, so you don’t miss out. Other relevant research: Read previous Analyst Corner reports, including last week’s report, which discusses the ways in which Labubu, a palm-sized toy, has become the current “it item” globally, and what its popularity with younger generations reveals about the current retail landscape. Retail 2025: UK Retail Predictions—Midyear Trends Update See all our coverage of digital commerce and physical commerce Please Login to read the full report. Not a member? To access this content for free, register for a free account. This document was generated for Other research you may be interested in: US Store Tracker Extra, February 2025: Bankruptcies Push Total Closed Retail Space Toward 85 Million Square FeetNRF 2025: Retail’s Big Show: Day Two—Diving into Loyalty and Sustainability with Sephora, Target, Walmart and OthersAnalyst Corner: All Things Tech at Shoptalk Spring 2025 with John HarmonAnalyst Corner: Can Technology Adoption Decelerate the Store Closure Trend? Three Recommendations from Manik Bhatia
