As the stores in the malls, the niche-specific, on-line store should be the future. We need expert-driven, commercial sites and not the 21st Century version of the general store. The idea of a site that can offer the same items as the profit-margin-hungry, food supermarkets at a price as low or lower is unthinkable. Stores like Walmart became successful from high-volume buying and super-efficient inventory systems. I do not believe the people invovled in e-commerce wish to be bogged down in the unglamorous, unsexy world of inventory control. I enjoy shopping at website owned by brand-named stores (i.e. the Gap, Crate and Barrell...). Since they already know their market, they do not try to carry everything for everyone. On a personal note, please excuse my multiple use of hypenated words.
Submitted by scooteryou on Mon, 09/18/2000 - 10:40.
E-Commerce must be Product-Specific
As the stores in the malls, the niche-specific, on-line store should be the future. We need expert-driven, commercial sites and not the 21st Century version of the general store. The idea of a site that can offer the same items as the profit-margin-hungry, food supermarkets at a price as low or lower is unthinkable. Stores like Walmart became successful from high-volume buying and super-efficient inventory systems. I do not believe the people invovled in e-commerce wish to be bogged down in the unglamorous, unsexy world of inventory control. I enjoy shopping at website owned by brand-named stores (i.e. the Gap, Crate and Barrell...). Since they already know their market, they do not try to carry everything for everyone. On a personal note, please excuse my multiple use of hypenated words.