showrooming

Showrooming. Everybody’s heard of it by now—conniving shoppers checking out a product in a retail store, then buying it online later for less. Best Buy’s 2012 stock price tumble was largely blamed on showrooming, while other retailers including Target, ToysRUs and PetSmart also felt showrooming’s effect on their bottom lines. But this emphasis on showrooming is misplaced, in my view, and I’m not alone.