It used to be that retailers opened a real store first, then migrated some or all of the merchandise to an e-commerce website. That’s what I did, anyway. But eventually I dropped the brick-and-mortar store in favor of e-commerce.

Now it looks like the opposite is happening for some savvy merchandisers. I call it “retailing in reverse.” This great article in the Chicago Tribune tells how successful online-first retailers are getting into real storefronts with good reason: to drive more traffic to their websites.

It can make good sense. As a researcher says in the article, “…it doesn’t hurt to be where most consumers are still spending their money.” With online sales still only grabbing only 4.7 percent of total U.S. retail sales, physical stores are going to be shoppers’ main destination for quite a while.

If you’re reading this, you probably have a brick-and-mortar store yourself, and possibly an e-commerce website. You probably owe it to yourself to learn if your online-only competition has any plans to retail in reverse. Even if their websites don’t mention it, call or e-mail the main office. Say you want to learn if they’ll be opening a store in your area soon. If so, start tweaking your merchandise so you can compete head-on.

We’re pretty close to opening a retail store to support our online surf-art gallery, www.WaveridersGallery.net. It seems like a good fit in the surfing haven we live in, San Diego’s Pacific Beach. It will be a good way to find out if the reverse-retailers have the right idea. If the real gallery boosts sales at the online version, I’ll know for sure that this trend isn’t all wet.