That makes sense, but the world is changing. It seems to me that many industries are now coming down to Business-to-Customer interaction. That's what the internet does, I guess.
Coming to the coffee mug analogy - I buy almost all my plateware online. Ten years ago, this wasn't feasible, but now it's easy. So I'm not limited anymore to what the local store carries - I have a world at my fingertips.
My individual preferences suddenly matter. I want something green! No chemicals in the coffee mug process! Created from renewable materials! Manufactured by low emission processes! Certified! Organic! Stylish! Modernistic! With a touch of panache and coziness.
Coffee mug makers and publishers alike will HAVE to keep up with the changes and they'll have to do it FAST. In a world of choices, I can be seduced into an OrganicCoffeeMugs.com purchase in an instant, and Bed Bath & Beyond doesn't have the luxury to play dinosaur.
