Retail vs the ‘Net
Today I was out doing some cheap shopping (i.e. window shopping) and hit a few of my favorite stores like Circuit City, Books-A-Million, Whole Foods, etc. I really enjoyed my afternoon and enjoyed perusing books, food, and gadgets. It’s amazing with the growth of e-commerce and the convenience of shopping from home that people still flock to retail stores to buy stuff. There is a place for both establishments. Here’s my observations from today’s venture:
1. Touch and Feel - In the bookstore I was able to just wander up and down the aisles and pick up any book I wanted to and just start reading it. I tend to venture in the military history section of the bookstore so I was looking through some books on Vietnam, Gulf War, WW II, etc. You can’t do this online that’s for sure. Although, what you can do is peruse the physical book in person, then go online to buy it cheaper. That is if you happen to remember the name of the books you looked at in the first place.
2. Demo and Play - While at Circuit City I was able to enjoy looking at HD TV’s and see all the nice differences between brands, sizes, and features. I was also able to rummage through the bargain bin of video games and DVD’s looking for a bargain (didn’t find any) and I was able to play with some XBox 360 demos (as well as watch some kid get smoked in a PS3 FPS demo by the computer). After that I went and played with all their new laptops, and other gadgets. Something you really can’t do online to well. Again though, you can probably pick up most of those gadgets cheaper online. Especially when it comes to computers and DVD’s, but it is nice to look and play with them in a retail establishment.
3. Smell - Ah, Whole Foods, what a great place to shop. Upon entering the store your senses are assaulted with all kinds of good stuff. Then as you hungrily wander down the aisles you get to sample lots of cheeses (which are quite good!), smell the fresh seafood, take in the aroma of the fresh pastries and bread, and even pick up a plate of smoked beef brisket. Try doing that online. Sure you can find some food stuff online, and even have it delivered to you if you live in a big city, but for the most part Whole Foods doesn’t have to worry too much about e-commerce competition.
Oh, the garlic knots at Whole Foods are really yummy.
