Quote:
Originally Posted by Fbone
If evolving means closing B&M stores and going online only, then leave me out of it.  |
Evolving doesn't necessarily mean closing stores; that is simply the simplest path that requires the least amount of brains. (It also leads to a death-spiral but Borders is already spiraling well down that path.)
Alternatives are:
- relocating stores in a region (as B&N is doing in NYC)
- downsizing the underperforming stores
- changing the product mix to reflect local buying habits
- adopting POD and ship-to-store online support
- bringing in "tenant" specialty vendors
Lots of other B&M retailers are doing one or more of those things; Wal-mart, in particular, is doing all of them in one area or another.
What doesn't work is acting as if it's still 1980 out there.
Edit: One evolution that some stores (Circuit City, Wal-Mart) have tried/are trying is online shopping of the local storefront. This goes ship-to-store one better: online orders are fullfilled from B&M stock so the consumer can buy online, drive to the storefront, and take delivery right there. It takes the uncertainty out of driving to the B&M site and maximizes sales per square foot. If combined with POD it can provide the deep catalog of online buying with the instant gratification of B&M shopping.