The decision between a physical store and an online store is influenced by a number of elements, such as the products being sold, the target market, the available funds, and the marketing plan. Physical stores offer a tactile shopping experience and immediate gratification, while online stores provide a global reach and lower overhead costs.

How they’re different: Shopping online is built around convenience—armed with a computer or smartphone, it’s possible to shop whenever from wherever, easily. And getting to a physical store can be more time consuming. The minutes or hours spent traveling and finding parking can be a time investment.