Quote:
Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper
Online is doing more business than, the precursor, catalog could ever dream. It's coming at a cost. Delivery costs and/or times have increased and quality has gone way down. So much of it is now those independent dealers selling cheap goods like in the last gasp power centre malls.
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Online is big, but I'm not sure it is going to take over like many have proclaimed.
There's just too much people need on a daily basis that doesn't really jive with the online shopping experience.
One might see a transition to a hybrid model. Instead of the huge warehouse-style grocery stores we have now, they might be half the size - a section for self-serve shopping with the typical layout and a section that's basically a real warehouse that pickers do the work and prepackage everything.
I've always kind of wondered what the most efficient model is for retail, to be honest. For products that move in volume or require interaction before purchase (think clothes), self-serve works best. For more esoteric purchases, online seems to be the ticket.
I think that's where the dichotomy will go. The big-box/general merchandise stores are taking over what one needs day-to-day and online will take over the other stuff.
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