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OUTSIDE THE BOX N EW RETAIL PERS PECTIV ES
GOING, GOING, GONE?
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There’s no doubt that independents are a strong force in retail, but change can come to anyone. Witness New York City where the number of family-owned grocers less than 7,000 square feet dropped about 8 percent over the past decade, or about 300 stores, according to a study by Strategic Resource Group.
It’s an
Uber World
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Lately, everyone wants to be known as the “Uber” of something – even laundry. Electrolux, the Swedish appliance maker, is exploring the idea of having consumers use their own washing machines for other people’s clothes. The company is looking into options like having people share their unused laundry time and an automatic oven that would cook beef until it’s rare rather than having consumers set the time and temperature.
When
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Going into smaller marketing areas doesn’t necessarily mean downscaling operations. Over the past decade, boutique hotels have exploded and now they are going into small cities like Bethlehem, Pa., and Sewanee, Tenn., and focusing on attracting younger travelers who want more personalized, social spaces.
Smaller Is
Better
S-Commerce At this point no one doubts the power of e-commerce which now represents over 7.5 percent of all retail revenue and rising steadily. But this is spawning an entirely new industry – subscription boxes. Millions of consumers now pay a monthly fee for regular delivery of everything from food to cosmetics. It is emerging as the ultimate expression of convenience.
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