OT--bricks vs cyber: ed--here's a thot on how bricks & mortar grow, and e-commerce grows, too, simply from my own experience--maybe it's not an either/or but a both/and scenario:
Certain things you want to touch, feel, or try on. Sometimes you want to go to Barnes & Noble, have a capuccino and thumb through the displays of books and magazines, and buy whatever you buy. You want to hear your favorite author read. You want to try on the blue jeans and be sure they fit great. You want to feel the nap of the towels and how soft it is. Etc.
At the same time, life is busy. A jazz singer friend of mine wanted a bio of Duke Ellington, and she's of an ilk/age where she'd never use the internet. I went onto Amazon and within 10 minutes the book was on its way to her as a gift from me. If I'd had to go to B&N, would I have...? Probably not...Another instance: I like a Canadian folk group called the Wyrd sisters, their CDs are hard to find--but easy to find and buy on the Internet, (and not on Amazon, even--elsewhere).
One doesn't rule out the other. I think both have revenue streams and a place in America, especially. And look at SI--it is something you couldn't have imagined before the medium made it possible. The medium itself can help create possibilities, including e-commerce, that weren't there before. SI doesn't stop you from using your full service broker in all the ways you always have--it's value added.
Morning thots...
Jill |
