Here's what you're missing - the distinction between online and offline retail is rapidly diminishing. Consumers, particularly younger generations but even those of us who spent their young adult years at malls, are using multiple channels to shop (e.g., omnichannel shopping). Consumers don't care where the shopping journey starts or ends - they've got a new tool (the internet) and they want convenience/immediacy. They buy the thing on the app or website and then they pick it up at the local store location. So, what traditional retailers like AAP and Nordstrom are discovering is that their digital presence is driving people to their physical locations. This is a big reason why you saw multiple retailers adding more physical stores after the pandemic (buy online pickup in store - or BOPIS) because they're using stores as distribution and fulfillment centers (which is an edge over Amazon - at least for now). They're giving shoppers a "best of both worlds option." Here's a good article that discusses how DICKS is using geographic analysis to decide where to open physical stores (so it can better serve online customers):
