Also called "clicks and bricks" and "bricks and clicks," clicks and mortar refers to businesses that offer online ordering as well as traditional retail outlets (offline) staffed by people. Coined in 1999 by David Pottruck, co-CEO of the Charles Schwab brokerage firm, it refers to running the two divisions in a cooperative and integrated manner where they both support and benefit from each other.
It May Refer to Migration
Clicks and mortar may also refer to businesses that started out online and later added physical retail stores. Amazon.com is the quintessential example, which became the largest online retailer and later added physical stores (see
Amazon stores). See
bricks and mortar,
bricks clicks and flips and
e-commerce.