Good post, Dave, on Toys R Us...
On a parallel (if unrelated to this thread) note, I ordered a book this weekend from barnesandnoble.com, more or less on principle, since I consider AMZN (the stock not the co.) so thoroughly obscene. The transaction went smooth as silk...
There is nothing magical about EBAY, AMZN, YHOO etc. In fact, in the next stage of e-commerce, I believe the "bricks and mortar" companies like B&N and Sotheby's, for example, will have a huge advantage over the ethereal ones, since they will be able to reinforce their on-line presence with hard marketing strategies aimed at the folks whom they deal with face-to-face. Anyone who thinks otherwise has never been involved in a business involving product-marketing. Whether it's toys, books, or fine wines, the human touch always makes a difference. If it didn't, there'd be no book signings or wine tastings...
Sure will be glad when we get back to "normal," when the euphoria over the "new medium" dies down and we can all see clearly again. Then again, I guess people always go ga-ga over new media, be it moveable type, radio, or hdtv. Did Gutenberg ever have an IPO?
P.S. If somebody knows the appropriate thread, feel free to throw this on the AMZN board. I don't follow it, but evidently that's where all the action is these days. Poor old tired YHOO. |
