by Scott Ronalds

A few months back I noticed that Warby Parker was opening a storefront here in Vancouver on West 4th Avenue. I thought it was odd. Aren’t they an online-only brand? And then the other day I did a double take as I was driving down 4th again. Right beside the newly opened Warby Parker was a purple construction facade for a Casper store, the online mattress company. Turns out they’re going brick-and-mortar too.

There are other examples of this trend of online businesses opening physical stores. Amazon opened a bookstore in Seattle in 2015 and now has over 15 similar stores across the U.S. And Glossier, an online retailer of skincare and beauty products, now has retail locations in New York and L.A.

It’s a reminder that while the world is increasingly going online to buy products and services, there’s still something to be said about touching and feeling a product, kicking the proverbial tires, and simply seeing the whites of someone’s eyes in a conversation.

We appreciate the value of the human touch too. It’s why we make it easy to book an appointment with one of our Investor Specialists in our Vancouver and Toronto offices. We’re here to review your portfolio with you, help you set up an account, or provide some perspective on what’s going on in the markets. We’ve even been known to dole out wine recommendations on request.

If you don’t live in Vancouver or Toronto, we make it a point to visit Victoria, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Ottawa semi-annually to meet with clients and prospects. If you’d like to know when we’ll be in your town next, send us an email and we’ll reply promptly.

The internet has been a great field leveler for smaller businesses, including Steadyhand. We rely on our website, blog, email newsletter and client portal to communicate and report to our clients. You can be sure, though, that you’ll always be able to talk to a real person, in person.