---
id: "quote-store-gateway"
type: "quote"
source_timestamps: ["§ The Store as a Services and Experience Destination", "¶2"]
source_title: "The Comeback of the Physical Store—and What It Means for Your Business"
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2026/04/the-comeback-of-the-physical-store-and-what-it-means-for-your-business"
tags: ["customer-journey", "first-impressions"]
related: ["concept-store-as-experience-destination"]
speaker: "Anonymous Footwear Retailer"
speakers: ["Anonymous Footwear Retailer"]
sources: ["tail1"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-tail1"
originDay: 1
articleStem: "hbr-tail-114-comeback-physical-store"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/04/the-comeback-of-the-physical-store-and-what-it-means-for-your-business"
sourceTitle: "The Comeback of the Physical Store—and What It Means for Your Business"
---
# The store as the gateway to the customer relationship

> "Customers get comfortable with fit and develop an appreciation for the materials. It's still the best way to introduce the product; the store remains the gateway to the relationship."

— **Anonymous Footwear Retailer** (interviewed for the article)

Anchors [[concept-store-as-experience-destination]]: even when journeys start online, the store is where confidence, fit, and material appreciation are built for high-consideration goods.