As the year comes to an end, it is clear that the role and function of brick and mortar stores has fundamentally changed. Increasingly, physical stores have to become a seamless extension of an overall customer experience that blends the best of the online and offline worlds. Indeed, savvy and forward-thinking retailers understand that the lines between online and offline are blurring, and the question is not so much around whether to have a physical or online presence – the fundamental question is how to deliver the most value to your customer.