Definition: Brick and Mortar

Brick and Mortar (sometimes shortened to BAM) is an expression of Anglo-Saxon origin. In French, it can be literally translated by “brick and mortar”.

Definition of Brick and Mortar

The term Brick and Mortar refers to a company or a brand that sells its products in a physical point of sale. Local shops (bakeries, newsagents, local pharmacies, etc.) are generally brick-and-mortars: their services and products are sold exclusively in their “brick and mortar” building.

This term is frequently used in the field of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and the Internet. It is generally used to mark the opposition between physical businesses and companies that base their activity solely on the web (more commonly called “pure player”).

The Brick and Mortar is not a fixed status

A Brick and Mortar company can decide to market its products online in addition to its sales on its physical point of sale. We will then use another expression to designate its presence on both channels: “Click and Mortar” or “Click and Brick”.

Today, many stores opt for a Click and Mortar model. The advent of digital technology and the changes in consumer habits are pushing companies to work on their presence on the Internet. They can market their products on marketplaces (Etsy, Amazon, Rakuten, Ebay) or develop their own dedicated site.