Most people buy smart blinds, lights and thermostats physical stores today, looking for a bit of handholding with their smart home purchase. But that could change over time as consumers expectations grow to make purchases from wherever they are, whenever they want, according to a new report from research firm Parks Associates.

Today, more than one quarter of people who own smart home devices in the U.S. bought their products at a physical store, such as Best Buy, Home Depot or Walmart. And retail outlets will continue to dominate over the next few years, say researchers, who note that more than 10 million smart home devices expected to be sold in the U.S. by 2021 — and 8 million of those through retail stores and the like.

From the article "More than 10 million smart home devices will be sold in the U.S. by 2021" by Lauren Barack.