evlPanda said...
Was reading an interesting article the other day about how bricks-and-mortar retail is changing in reaction to online retail. Basically companies are creating (let's test my comprehension here) themed shops that don't actually sell anything. You come in, see all the products, play with them, and have no obligation to buy them. They are selling a lifestyle. You then buy the product online and have it delivered.
For example the Apple stores, or the Nespresso boutiques (main example in the article, horrible coffee IMO). You're mostly there to browse and they know that.
There was even a shop where you can browse what's inside the shop from outside, on touch screens, and then order from there, never even entering, if you don't want to.
Is this what the NP/JP vans were this summer?
P.S. Kudos to the SurfFX guys for fixing me up with some replacement parts, while I was browsing for next purchase. Hard not to in there.
There is a load of info available on the internet on anything you want to purchase.So the role of the salesperson has diminished.Research and then cheapest price seems to be what the purchasing experience is all about these days.A reality of the www age.Some products like computers are easily and cheaply shipped and lend themselves to this sales model.Its more tricky with bulky windsurfing stuff but where theres a will theres a way.And the profit motive helps too.Nespresso(Nestle) and Apple are multi billion dollar corporations.Theres nothing in the windsurfing industry that compares.Windsurfing needs to be supported at grass roots level via retail outlets and demo days and the internet store wont/ cant do this.
