Retail analyst Bruce Winder says the companies making the shift to retail are unique in that consumers in those industries are more inclined to try the products before they buy.
“Some categories like mattresses and footwear are really made to be touched, try on, lay down on, et cetera, so it's part of the consumer decision-making process and they need to do that to get consumers to make the purchase,” he said.
For Endy and Vessi, the expansion represents a shift to “omnichannel” retail, meaning making their products available through online sales, wholesale retail, and at their own brick-and-mortar locations.
“I think retail is here to stay,” Cochrane said. “I think there was some hypothesis during COVID that e-commerce was going to dominate, but it's just not the case. Consumers still prefer retail.”