Image via CrunchBase
The other day my husband told me about a blog post in the NYT focusing on the possibility of Amazon opening brick-and-mortar stores, and at first I poo-pooed it. "Come on," I said. "How would that be good for them? The only reason I go into a store any more is because I want to walk out with something and not wait for it to be shipped."
But then I read another article by these guys, Neil Blumenthal and Dave Gilboa, who started an online business selling discount designer eyeglass frames, talking about why they've ended up having physical 'stores' of various kinds as well, even though all their purchases are technically made online (people who select frames in one of their physical locations still buy the glasses on their smartphone, iPad, etc.). Their reasoning as to why this makes sense for them was compelling:
First, our customers wanted it. Second, it allows us to build close personal relationships with customers by meeting them, which you don't get from an online transaction. Third, the showrooms act as learning laboratories, and help us to create ways to make shopping for glasses online easier based on how we see people behaving physically in-person. Fourth, the stores are a great training opportunity for our staff. When they've served people in our showrooms, they do a better job helping customers who need assistance by phone or over email.
After reading their account, I started to see why Amazon might want to do the same thing. And I gotta say, I kind of love it. I like how smart business people these days (Jeff Bezos, I'm talking to you) are willing to look both forward and backward for good business models.
Just last night, for instance, I was talking to my 23-year-old son and his girlfriend, and he was telling me how he wants to create a community with people he cares about, so they can all do work they love and support each other raising their kids, when they have them - very 60s, I thought. And the work they want to do ranges all the way from quite 19th-century (blacksmithing and custom furniture making), to 20th century (running a neighborhood cafe) to 21st century (being a world-based documentary filmmaker about human rights issues).
Sometimes the best, most creative solution to a challenge may very well be a combination of old and new to make never-seen-before. Retro can be good if you shape it to fit today's needs.
