New Business-to-Consumer Retail Craze
They're calling it shops or "S-Commerce" and it's being rolled out in
Cities and towns nationwide. "It's a real revelation," according to
Malcolm Fosbury, a middleware engineer from Hillingdon. "You just walk
into one of these shops and they have all sorts of things for sale."
Fosbury was particular impressed by a clothes shop he discovered while
browsing in central London. "Shops seem to be the ideal medium for
transactions of this type. I can actually try out a jacket and see if it
fits me. Then I can visualize the way I would look if I was wearing the
clothing." This is possible using a high definition 2D viewing system, or
"mirror" as it has become known.
Shops, which are frequently aggregated into shopping portals or "high
streets", are becoming increasingly popular with the cash-rich time-poor
generation of new consumers. Often located in densely populated areas
people can find them extremely convenient. And Malcolm is not alone in
being impressed by shops. "Some days I just don't have the time to
download huge Flash animations of rotating trainers and then wait five
days for them to be delivered in the hope that they will actually fit,"
says Sandra Bailey, a systems analyst from Chelsea. "This way I can
actually complete the transaction in real time and walk away with the
goods."
Being able see whether or not shoes and clothing fit has been a real bonus
for Bailey, "I used to spend my evenings boxing up gear to return.
Sometimes the clothes didn't fit, sometimes they just sent the wrong
stuff."
Shops have a compelling commercial story to tell too, according to Gartner
Group retail analyst Carl Baker. "There are massive efficiencies in the
supply chain. By concentrating distribution to a series of high volume
outlets in urban centres-typically close to where people live and
work-businesses can make dramatic savings in fulfillment
costs. Just compare this with the wasteful practise of delivering items
piecemeal to people's homes."
Furthermore, allowing consumers to receive goods when they actually want
them could mean an end to the frustration of returning home to find a
despatch notice telling you that your goods are waiting in a delivery
depot the other side of town.
But it's not just the convenience and time-saving that appeals to Fosbury,
"Visiting a shop is real relief for me. I mean as it is I spend all day in
front of a festering computer."
They're calling it shops or "S-Commerce" and it's being rolled out in
Cities and towns nationwide. "It's a real revelation," according to
Malcolm Fosbury, a middleware engineer from Hillingdon. "You just walk
into one of these shops and they have all sorts of things for sale."
Fosbury was particular impressed by a clothes shop he discovered while
browsing in central London. "Shops seem to be the ideal medium for
transactions of this type. I can actually try out a jacket and see if it
fits me. Then I can visualize the way I would look if I was wearing the
clothing." This is possible using a high definition 2D viewing system, or
"mirror" as it has become known.
Shops, which are frequently aggregated into shopping portals or "high
streets", are becoming increasingly popular with the cash-rich time-poor
generation of new consumers. Often located in densely populated areas
people can find them extremely convenient. And Malcolm is not alone in
being impressed by shops. "Some days I just don't have the time to
download huge Flash animations of rotating trainers and then wait five
days for them to be delivered in the hope that they will actually fit,"
says Sandra Bailey, a systems analyst from Chelsea. "This way I can
actually complete the transaction in real time and walk away with the
goods."
Being able see whether or not shoes and clothing fit has been a real bonus
for Bailey, "I used to spend my evenings boxing up gear to return.
Sometimes the clothes didn't fit, sometimes they just sent the wrong
stuff."
Shops have a compelling commercial story to tell too, according to Gartner
Group retail analyst Carl Baker. "There are massive efficiencies in the
supply chain. By concentrating distribution to a series of high volume
outlets in urban centres-typically close to where people live and
work-businesses can make dramatic savings in fulfillment
costs. Just compare this with the wasteful practise of delivering items
piecemeal to people's homes."
Furthermore, allowing consumers to receive goods when they actually want
them could mean an end to the frustration of returning home to find a
despatch notice telling you that your goods are waiting in a delivery
depot the other side of town.
But it's not just the convenience and time-saving that appeals to Fosbury,
"Visiting a shop is real relief for me. I mean as it is I spend all day in
front of a festering computer."
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