It’s no secret that brick and mortar business owners usually work their tails off, at least in the very beginning. Being present in the store is a big deal and not the kind of online “present” that means you’re ordering a coffee, answering emails, and breaking up a sibling fight in the backseat at the same time. Class Instruction in a Brick-and-Mortar Building Is Not Inherently Better than Online Education. I am fairly open-minded when it comes to the ranking system to choose a school. However, I do find it interesting that some people rank brick-and-mortar institutions higher than online colleges, just because instruction occurs in a building’s Starting an Online Store Vs Brick and Mortar Business – Which is the Best? About 51 percent of Americans prefer eCommerce, and 49 percent prefer heading into an actual store. However, a larger portion of millennials (67 percent) prefer shopping online over offline.