In the jargon of ecommerce, brick-and-mortar businesses are companies that have a physical presence—a physical store—and offer face-to-face consumer experiences. This term is usually used to contrast with a transitory business or an Internet-only presence, such as an online shop. An example would be the movie-rental shop Blockbuster Video, which has physical stores and is in competition with the newer online rental services offered by Netflix. In this sense, the term is also a retronym in that all stores had a physical presence before the advent of the Internet, making such a term unnecessary. A comparable term in the United Kingdom is "High Street" shops, although the phrase "brick(s)-and-mortar business" is also used.

Other definitions include Investopedia’s reference that a brick-and-mortar business is a traditional "street-side" business that deals with its customers face-to-face in an office or a store that the business owns or rents. Web-based businesses usually have lower costs and greater flexibility than brick-and-mortar operations. The local grocery store and corner bank are examples of brick-and-mortar companies. About.com, defines brick-and-mortar businesses as retail shops that are located in a building as opposed to an online shopping destination, door-to-door sales, kiosk, or other similar site not housed within a structure. According to Macmillan Dictionary, a brick-and-mortar business is a traditional business that does not operate on the Internet. It also offers the term “click-and-mortar,” which is used to describe a business that operates in traditional ways and by using the Internet

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