Brick and Mortar – Meaning, Origin & Usage

‘Brick and mortar’ can often seem like a strange phrase, because it isn’t usually used to refer to someone’s home or even the building industry. So, if you’re confused you’re not alone. There’s nothing to worry about however because this article is going to explain it all. 

We’re going to cover what the term means, how it originated, and how it is used today. We will also touch on everyday examples, related expressions, and how it contrasts with the term “digital business”.

Let’s get straight to it.

What does the term ‘brick and mortar’ mean?

The term ‘brick and mortar’ refers to a type of business. More specifically it is used to denote a business that operates conventionally, in a building, rather than (or as well as) over the internet.

The term ‘brick and mortar’ is often used to describe businesses with a physical store. That said however, the term can also be used to describe other types of businesses, such as coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, banks, dental practices, hairdressers, barbers, petrol stations, and more. Simply put, it refers to any permanent, in-person business or establishment.

The historical origins of the phrase ‘brick and mortar’

Despite the use of the phrase ‘brick and mortar’ being used to contrast one type of business with an online business, the term was actually coined much earlier than the advent of the internet. More specifically, it was coined by the famous author Charles Dickens, in his novel Little Dorrit, which was published in 1857.

The term is derived from the traditional building materials used to construct physical buildings, such as homes, stores, and offices. In Dickens’ work the term was used to describe any business with a physical storefront, regardless of whether it was actually built with bricks and mortar.

Use of the term today

More recently, with the advent of the internet in the late 20th century, the use of the term evolved and adapted accordingly. The term began to be used for distinguishing a traditional, building-based business from one that is solely online.

Examples of the phrase ‘brick and mortar’ in everyday context

Here follows some examples of the phrase ‘brick and mortar’ in everyday conversation:

•  Available both online and in the bricks-and-mortar gift shop.
• My parents have invested most of their money in bricks and mortar.
• The first brick-and-mortar dim sum restaurant opened in 2006 in Cardiff.
• Macy’s brick-and-mortar sales fell 7% year-on-year last quarter.
• Both digitally and at brick-and-mortar stores, holiday discounts are being offered earlier.
• Both digitally and at brick-and-mortar stores, holiday discounts are being offered earlier.
• Unless you’re going to be a mobile hairdresser, you’re going to need ‘brick and mortar’ premises.
• The bakery was forced to move to a delivery model from its physical brick-and-mortar location.
• I prefer  to shop online than at a brick-and-mortar store, unless I’m buying clothes.
• They’ve had a brick-and-mortar plant nursery for decades and now want to open an online shop.

Cultural significance of ‘brick and mortar’ vs. ‘digital business’ and the impact of the internet in business

Whereas traditional business used to have a brick and mortar base from which they would perhaps make a product or products, or sell various items, things have certainly changed dramatically over the years, especially with the advent of the internet which transformed the business landscape. Not only for retailers, but also for many other types of business as well.

The rise of online business in retail, for example, has meant more competition for ‘brick and mortar’ only stores. As more and more people started to shop online, the ‘brick and mortar’ stores started to see falls in profits and began to struggle to cover the cost of their overheads, such as rent. As a result, many businesses began to go under, including such big names as Woolworths and Borders. The same is true of many other types of business, such as book makers, banks and building societies, and so on. 

In contrast, online businesses tend to have cheaper overhead costs, including not just rent but also staffing costs and business credit insurance. This meant that online businesses were better able to adapt to difficult circumstances, such as economic crisis, the Covid pandemic, and rising inflation.

That said, however, there are still many types of business that benefit from having ‘brick and mortar’ premises. This includes the likes of petrol stations, service centres, anywhere where you can grab a bite to eat and something to drink, and of course hairdressers and barbers.

Some businesses have switched from wholly brick and mortar to wholly online, while others have been able to find a happy middle ground. Even therapists and educators have gone more online. It’s become very rare today for a business not to have an online business of some description, whether it’s their own company website, or at least a webpage on a social media network, such as Facebook, Etsy, or Instagram.

Related idioms and expressions

Here follows a selection of synonyms that you can use in place of the phrase ‘brick and mortar’:

• Conventional
• Physical
• On-site
• Face-to-face
• Store-based
• Local

Final word

So to sum up, the phrase ‘brick and mortar’ is used to distinguish a business that has a physical base in a building, as opposed to being an online business.

Despite this current use of the term, the phrase was actually coined a long time ago in the 1850s when it was used by author Charles Dickens to describe any business with a physical storefront.

The advent of the internet in the 1990’s meant that a lot more businesses went online, while many businesses went wholly online. However, the term ‘brick and mortar’ will continue to remain prominent, because there will always be a need for ‘brick and mortar’ cafes and restaurants, dentists, hairdressers and so on.