The E-commerce Barometeer reveals Physical stores biggest opportunity - In Store Audiences

"PostNord’s E-commerce Barometer 2025 shows that e-commerce continues to gain ground, but it also highlights exactly where the physical store has its strongest advantage. Proximity, speed, and the ability to see and try products" says Christian Bönnelyche at the technology company BizLab.

At the same time, the report shows that omnichannel behaviour is now established, and that consumers switch between e-commerce and physical retail especially in younger target groups.

Note: The E-commerce Barometer/E-barometern is produced by Sweden’s PostNord (in cooperation with HUI Research) and refers to the Swedish market.

The store wins at the moment of purchase — but needs provable data

The E-commerce Barometer shows that customers choose physical stores to avoid waiting for delivery and to be able to test/try the product. This means many customers are already close to the actual purchase decision when they are in-store and that the store, in practice right in the “moment of truth.”

At the same time, the report shows that online stores are often chosen when the item is not available in nearby stores or when the price is lower online. A key conclusion is therefore that physical retail needs to strengthen its competitiveness through relevance, experience, and precision.

“The interesting thing about the E-commerce Barometer is that it indirectly describes one of retail’s biggest missed opportunities. E-commerce has built its growth on data-driven optimisation, but in physical stores the same kind of measurability is often missing. That’s where the next big leap is,” says Michael Lemner Chairman of the board at BizLab.

“E-commerce has long been able to measure the entire customer journey. Who looks, who reacts, and who converts. That kind of ‘funnel data’ is still uncommon in-store. But when the store gains the same ability to understand who it reaches and what works, it changes both profitability and the advertising business,” continues Michael Lemner,.

Omnichannel is the norm — and more valuable

A central point in the E-commerce Barometer is that omnichannel is no longer a future vision, but an established consumer behaviour. Nearly one third shop regularly across multiple channels, and younger consumers are particularly likely to switch between online and physical stores.

"When customers move between e-commerce and stores, the need for coherent data also increases not only about the transaction, but about all visitors in the store. And also data around exposure, behaviour, and response in the physical space." says mr Lemner.

When e-tailers build pop-ups, it shows why physical presence is becoming even more important

The E-commerce Barometer also highlights that e-commerce players are increasingly opening pop-up stores to get closer to customers and create physical experiences. This is a clear signal that the physical environment has tremendous value that cannot be fully digitised away.

“But for the store to capitalise on its advantage, a shift is required from selling space and ‘share of voice’ to selling verified target-group contacts in the same way digital media does,” says Christian Bönnelyche

Four steps to make the store as measurable as e-commerce

With the E-commerce Barometer 2025 as a backdrop, BizLab points to four areas where physical retailers can quickly close the data gap:

1. Measure real reach in-store. Measure all visitors in the store, who is actually reached by messages (e.g., demographics), and how many contacts are delivered.

2. Optimise content in real time. Adapt messaging by time, place, and target group, just like online.

3. Build an in-store funnel. From all visitors, dwell time, exposure and response, and connect it to sales impact.

4. Connect online and store. Let campaigns, creative formats and data live omnichannel, and follow the effect in both worlds.

“E-commerce has taught the market that data is what makes media measurable and therefore sellable. The E-commerce Barometer shows why the store is still invaluable. Now it’s time to give the store the same data capability and thereby create new revenue streams in an industry with pressured margins,” concludes Michael Lemner.

About BizLab

BizLab helps physical retail become more data-driven through visitor insights and AI-based target-group measurement in-store. By understanding who visits the store, how they move, and how they respond to messages, retailers can optimise customer experience, conversion, and create new revenue streams via retail media.