How E-Commerce Will Change the Mall Experience
Many analysts are handing doomsday reports to brick and mortar retailers. They say, not only will e-commerce be THE way to shop in the future, but, worse yet, retailers will be cut out of the picture completely as brands gear up to sell directly to the customer.
This does make a bit of sense when you consider that many brands have more successfully enchanted the consumer than retailers have. Many retailers have become lazy, assuming the consumer will buy from them just because they are "there" and spending little time capturing their hearts or imagination.
It's too bad, actually. There was a time when big department stores were classy and sassy, told you what to wear and what was hot. You put your faith in the clerks. Today, most of these same department stores sell the same product as their competitors, hoping to sell based on a better price. If we were to plop a person into a department store, in front of a Tommy Hilfiger rack, could they tell you what store they are in? Chances are, no.
So, if the clerks can't help customers make purchasing decisions, why would they shop their e-commerce store? Retailers play it safe by only offering what they're sure the most consumers will buy. They have put the onus on the shopper. And for that very reason, it is only logical that shoppers will go direct to the brands when they go online. They already have been forced to make their decisions for themselves, and surely they will get the best price going directly. It's also simpler. Why go to e-store X to buy Y's product when I can go directly to Y?
There are a few stores I would trust enough to shop online. I trust that Fred Segal has passionate buyers that work very hard at finding the best, the newest and the most innovative products. I would buy from that retailer because they have a point of view that I desire. And because they have a point of view, the internet is a great opportunity for them because they can reach people beyond Los Angeles. Their willpower to maintain a point of view, to not go for the easy Tommy Hilfiger sale, will now, through the internet, make them a fortune.
But before we give retailers their walking papers, there may still be hope. Many futurists are taking the logical path, that, most people want to save time and money. This may be true for the time-impoverished, working mother, who has a big career and chores at home and more friends than she can keep up with. But the world of the New Consumer is very different. New Consumers are looking for friends, for ideas, for things to do and reasons to get out of the house. They are looking for ways to kill some time. The national pastime for these endeavors is, and will always be, the stores. Why shop for a pair of jeans online when you have a whole damn afternoon to kill? And by staying home at the computer, you will surely be roped into a chore or two.
Just as movie videos didn't kill the movie theaters, the internet will never kill the mall experience. But, hopefully the onslaught of the internet will wake up retailers. Have a point of view, and help consumers make informed decisions. Otherwise they will stay home and shop online.