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Do We Need An Internet of Things Retail Superstore?

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Remember the 90s? I do. I was in my twenties and finally had a job that didn't involve wearing an apron, which meant I could finally buy my own computer.

This usually resulted  in a trip to some sprawling retail space with thousands of feet of computers and peripherals.

Yep, it was the age of the superstore, back when computers were so new and exciting people named stores things like Comp-USA or Computer City and sold, well, lots of computer stuff.

But as we all know now, in the subsequent decade or two, Internet shopping has become a thing and computers, while ever more prevalent, now fit in your pocket. The result of all this is the computer superstore is a relic of the past, not unlike the video rental store and, soon, book superstores.

Superstore Renaissance?

So, what this all this means today is buying technology is a much different experience than it was before. If you're in the hunt for a computer or device that acts like one (take your pick), more often that not you 'll shop online or, if your touch and feel-first type, head down to Costco, Target or Best Buy.

And while these trends are likely to only get stronger, it's at least worth asking if big retail should consider the concept of an IoT store. That's because while well-understood technology products like computers and tablets are easy to buy online or in a mass-market retailer like Target, IoT, with all its various incarnations of consumer-facing products that all talk to each other across the smart home, wearables, connected car, kitchen, health and other various categories, is certain to be confusing to consumers for some time.

And if memory serves, back in the 90s those computer superstores did a decent job of showing us how computers worked, even if the scenarios back then were pretty simple: install expensive packaged software, print stuff, fire up your dial up modem. With the much more complicated nature of the IoT - which involves the cloud, sensors, mobile phones and lots of different tech standards - wouldn't most of us benefit from highly trained staff, lots of demo centers and displays and, well, focus that a superstore would give us?

Apple Store, Amazon, Maybe More

Well maybe, but chances are today's "superstore" is not your daddy's (or 90's Mike's) superstore.  Just as Apple and Amazon have shown us how to do things differently from a physical and digital retail perspective, when it comes to selling IoT there's a chance that selling all the varied products the IoT entails won't require miles of floor and shelf space.

Instead, much like the Apple store showed a decade ago, a modern technology retail floor is less about piled up boxes and more about hands-on explanations by qualified staff accompanied by well-crafted demos.  Sure, connecting a watch to a TV or a thermostat may be a little different than showing how a tablet works, but the key is well-trained staff who show how products work and interoperate with each other.

Focus can help too. As I've written before, Lowe's, Home Depot and Staples are battling it out today for smart home mindshare, while Best Buy and others are  trying to carve out an early wearables lead.  This is good since the IoT is too broad for any retailer to effectively be a one-stop-shop, so best to focus. I can even imagine at some point seeing national chains for "smart kitchen" or "smart cars".

Of course, online retail will continue its growth as consumers become more comfortable buying and using IoT technology. Amazon has already launched its home automation and wearable stores, perfect for consumers who are already comfortable buying and installing their own products.

Which, in the end, will be important since it's us consumers who, by and large, have to install and manage much of this stuff. As the growth of the do-it-yourself segment of the smart home home market - as illustrated by our recent forecast -shows, while friendly retailers may help us, most of the work will usually be up to us, the consumer.

So whether superstore, Apple concept store, online or offline, it might not matter all that much in the long run where we buy IoT gear since, after all, while the retailer may help us get started, often times it may ultimately be up to us to finish it.

Michael Wolf is a smart home analyst with NextMarket Insights. You can download a copy of his DIY smart home report executive summary and follow him on Twitter for other smart home musings.