IDG Contributor Network: Merged channel's maddening paradox, Bed, Bath & Beyond style

In the earliest days of e-commerce, retail execs envisioned a Utopian merged channel future. As the percentage of retail dollars ever so slowly creeped toward digital storefronts, they dreamed of ever-increasing profits — on the rationale that online operations have lower overhead than bricks-and-mortar.

Alas, retailers have discovered that increasing mobile and e-commerce purchases do not necessarily support the shutting down of physical stores. This week's example: Bed, Bath & Beyond.

In its latest quarter, the $12 billion chain saw physical sales drop 1%, while digital sales grew more than 25%.

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