A recent article in Retaildive.com by Ben Unglesbee points out that Burlington is exiting e-commerce in favor of its brick-and-mortar stores.
- Burlington Stores is shutting down its e-commerce site to focus on its brick-and-mortar business, CEO Michael O’Sullivan told analysts Thursday, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript.
- “In our business, which is a moderate off-price business, the nature of the Treasure Hunt and the average price point that we operate at means that bricks-and-mortar stores have a significant competitive and economic advantage over e-commerce,” O’Sullivan said.
- The off-price retailer plans to open a net 54 stores in 2020, executives added. The new stores are expected to average 39,700 feet, slightly smaller than Burlington’s historical average of 40,000 square feet.
The closure of Burlington’s online store is more symbolic than substantive. It represented just 0.5% of the retailer’s sales, according to O’Sullivan.
But it is a sign of the continued robustness of brick and mortar in the off-price sector.
Retail Dive: Burlington exits e-commerce to focus on brick and mortar