In the beginning of online shopping, it was brick-and-mortar brands that cried foul over the seemingly unfair fact that their new, nimble rivals didn’t have to contend with the costs of running a business in the physical world. Free from the chains of commercial rents, online retailers had a lighter — though by no means easier — path to profitability than some of their B&M counterparts, and many like Amazon still occupy those market perches today.