The next big thing - 's-commerce'
"They're calling it shops or 's-commerce' and it's being rolled out in
cities and towns nationwide.
"It's a real revelation," according to Malcolm Fosbury, an engineer
from Hillingdon. "You just walk into one of these shops and they have
all sorts of things for sale."
Fosbury was particularly impressed by a clothes shop he discovered while
browsing in central London. "Shops seem to be the ideal medium for transactions
of this type. I can actually try out a jacket and see if it fits me. Then
I can visualize the way I would look if I was wearing the clothing." This
is possible using a high definition 2D viewing system, or "mirror" as
it has become known.
Shops, which are frequently aggregated into shopping portals or "high
streets", are becoming increasingly popular with the cash-rich time-poor
generation of new consumers. Often located in densely populated areas
people can find them extremely convenient.
And Malcolm is not alone in being impressed by shops. "Some days I just
don't have the time to download huge Flash animations of rotating trainers
and then wait five days for them to be delivered in the hope that they
will actually fit," says Sandra Bailey, a systems analyst from Chelsea.
"This way I can actually complete the transaction in real time and walk
away with the goods."
Being able see whether or not shoes and clothing fit has been a real
bonus for Bailey, "I used to spend my evenings boxing up gear to return.
Sometimes the clothes didn't fit, sometimes they just sent the wrong stuff."
Shops have a compelling commercial story to tell too, according to Gartner
Group retail analyst Carl Baker. "There are massive efficiencies in the
supply chain. By concentrating distribution to a series of high volume
outlets in urban centres-typically close to where people live and work-businesses
can make dramatic savings in fulfilment costs. Just compare this with
the wasteful practise of delivering items piecemeal to people's homes."
Furthermore, allowing consumers to receive goods when they actually want
them could mean an end to the frustration of returning home to find a
despatch notice telling you that your goods are waiting in a delivery
depot the other side of town.
But it's not just the convenience and timesaving that appeals to Fosbury,
"Visiting a shop is real relief for me. I mean as it is I spend all day
in front of a fucking computer."
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