A lot has been written about the decline of the brick-and-mortar side of the retail sector--so much in fact that it can be easy to think that the sector itself is in decline. Take a step back from a focus on the retail stores of our childhood memories, and what emerges is a sector that is remarkably nimble in the ways it is adjusting to and profiting from the retail environment of today.

As the popularity of online shopping has grown over the past decade, ecommerce has become more than just a buzzword for progressive retailers. It's quickly become a viable addition to the traditional brick and mortar setup.