Store Merchandising in an E-commerce Era

Online filters that allow users to shop by category, brand, size, etc. on e-commerce websites aren't perfect. Some purchase needs are too nuanced for them. But most of the time, they work really well. They're part of the convenience that's fueling e-commerce growth as a percent of total retail spend.

Online merchandising and the ease of e-commerce filtering and sorting can make store visits comparably and increasingly frustrating. What's the in-store merchandising solution for:

• Seeing latest arrivals first?
• Only seeing what's in your budget or size?
• Finding all the white tees or black pants a location has to offer?
• Understanding what’s popular?
• Learning what customer reviews say?
• Getting ideas for what would complement a particular item?

On Twitter, Paul Shapiro shared photos (including those in this post) of how Amazon is merchandising books in its new stores. This is one step toward bringing some of the best of online merchandising to stores.