Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Strategies & Market Trends : Booms, Busts, and Recoveries -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Moominoid who wrote (15548)	2/24/2002 4:33:07 PM
From: Maurice Winn	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 74559

David, You wrote: <That's a contrast to your usual technology solves everything rants! > CB wrote: <Mq, you can buy all that in the city if you are willing to pay the freight. > With CDMA, [you will not be surprised to know CDMA is the answer to everything], life in the city can include the joys of real food. As CB points out, all that good stuff [and more] can be bought in the cities. But there is a cost. More than the freight cost, there is the information cost. With CDMA, a person can have a wireless device, which they can use anywhere in the city, complete with maps, SnapTrack and websites and bots to do the hard work of locating the right products and arranging a meeting and payment of the buyer and the product [or service]. At present, somebody could be selling the best free range eggs in Auckland, but the cost and hassle of finding that small business is prohibitive. As information becomes easier to get, the WalMart approach to life, where things are done in bulk and standardized form to get costs down, will diminish. Increasingly, people will be able to buy directly from the creators of products and services because the cost of distribution and middlemen will fall. There is no reason for a can of Watties Baked Beans to go from the production line, to a distribution centre, to a supermarket to a shopping trolley, to a car, to the house. Webvan tried to do it and woolworths.co.nz is doing it [selling groceries via the web], but there are still problems with doing it and the costs are not yet reduced enough to make it worthwhile. People will only do it if they get a bargain on the web. At present, all Woolworths offers is convenience and a $10 delivery charge. Although they claim "The real fresh food people" on their site, that's stretching the truth. Since I'm swinging by the supermarket/shops anyway, for other stuff, which isn't so easily managed via the web [such as taking a quick look at exactly what the salmon looks like and exactly which piece I might want] I might as well toss a can of baked beans in the trolley too and save a bit more. But if there was a website [and I will now start this business] managing real food, I'd be shopping. Maybe there is and I don't know about it yet. With the right management, there's no reason why tree-ripened fruit and picked-today vegetables can't be sold in the city. Pick the crop in the morning, pack it and deliver it that day 20 km to the city. All done direct from grower to customer. The auction, storage, damage, loss, transport and retailer costs would all be saved and could go to the grower. The customer would be happier. Reputation would be crucial. People would not want scungy apples slipped in with the good ones. Maybe it should be called "Premium Foods" rather than 'Real Foods' because it would be the top quality products. Anyway, maybe I'll get a round tuit, Meanwhile, thank goodness for CDMA enabling such things. Mq