brick-and-mortar

adjective

brick-and-mor·​tar ˈbrik-ən(d)-ˈmȯr-tər 

variants or bricks-and-mortar

: relating to or being a traditional business serving customers in a building as contrasted to an online business

a brick-and-mortar store

Examples of brick-and-mortar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Outside of the growing CardVault brick-and-mortar expansion across the country, Costa often serves as a host for panels and events, specifically during Fanatics Fest. — Larry Holder, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026

In addition to the brand’s fall/winter collection displayed on a long rail that trails the left side of the store, the New York brick-and-mortar (its first retail space, mind you) stocks select store-only exclusives, titled Atelier. — Madeline Fass, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026

Sephora and Ulta now maintain dedicated K-beauty sections online, besides carrying extensive selections in their brick-and-mortar locations as well. — Sophie Dunne, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

With the rise of domestic e-commerce giants like Taobao and Pinduoduo, Zhu’s team has moved from solely operating brick-and-mortar stores, to building a strong omnichannel network. — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1975, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for brick-and-mortar

• colporteur
• exporter
• headquarter
• importer
• reporter
• supporter
• transporter
• mortar
• quarter
• shorter
• sorter