Final answer:
Online sales excel in order tracking and fulfillment, but physical stores offer the benefit of experiencing products firsthand. L.L. Bean and Amazon combat this by offering guarantees and maintaining quality reputation. These strategies are vital for the success of online retailing.
Step-by-step explanation:
In general, online sales often outperform traditional brick and mortar retail sales in several dimensions, including product returns, order status tracking, and order fulfillment.
However, when it comes to 'trying before you buy', brick and mortar stores have an advantage since customers can see and touch the products directly. Companies like L.L.
Bean and Amazon have addressed the challenge of imperfect information in online sales by offering money-back guarantees and building a reputation for quality.
L.L. Bean, which makes most of its sales online or through mail and telephone, thrives by ensuring customer needs are met despite them not being able to interact with the product before purchase.
Similarly, Amazon demonstrates that with a highly efficient inventory system and the ability to offer economical prices, online retailers can successfully compete with traditional bookstores.
Both companies showcase the importance of customer satisfaction strategies in the success of online retailing.