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The Amazon Demo Store

A store that carries only samples for later purchase on Amazon
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This idea isn't yet ripe for the market, but one day, eventually, all the electronic stores and then the clothing stores will go out of business because everyone is buying everything online. Sure, people will keep walking into Best Buy to try on the headphones and listen to the speakers, but no one will buy because it's cheaper online and there are no taxes.

Eventually all the real stores will go out of business and there will be nowhere left to try on a pair of shoes before you buy them. Thus, the Amazon Demo Store. It will carry just one or two of each item. And because of the limited stock, there will be more space to hold more samples, so the store can handle electronics AND clothing AND whatever.

Instead of checkout counters, there are internet terminals where you can order something to your home immediately. And the sales people are knowledgeable. They don't have to know anything about scanning bar codes so they can focus on the product. On your internet terminal, you can type in the sales guy's name and he'll get a bonus for being such a good salesman around holiday time.

But who will pay for the store and its employees and Dirk's bonus? The product companies! For them it will be an advertising cost. Timex will pay the Amazon Demo Store chain to carry their product and they'll even send out clock experts to train the sales people. They'll even supply the watches! Companies that don't co-operate won't have their stuff on display and thus lose business.

In short, the sale (explaining, convincing you to buy) and the purchase (payment, delivery, returns) are separated to operate more efficiently.

The problem with this idea, other than the aforementioned current, temporary abundance of real stores is that some people buying online are doing it not to save money, but because they're lazy and firmly intent on not leaving the house. So either the store needs to come to them, door-to-door like Avon, or we need to make the store more attractive, like have a waterslide or candy.

Another problem is that real stores will still exist because sometimes you want something RIGHT NOW! So Best Buy will still be around but it'll cost way more. And if the Best Buy Gestapo catches you testing out products without buying, you get sent to a gulag. Now you work in a mine in Siberia because you waited until one day before FIFA starts to buy your new TV.

eyal, Mar 14 2007

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       The tax thing is a temporary aberation. The government in all states will eventually get around to effectively taxing those internet purchases. They already do in some states.
Galbinus_Caeli, Mar 14 2007
  

       This is a fully baked idea :) We are coming with this kind of stores in few months ( sorry, I wont give name of our stores name now) .Everything there is just for display and no obligation to buy. Now we are in the process of tie-ups. The idea of many exhibitions is to generate future sales. Many manufacturing companies are in fact accepting and paying for that concept. Now many companies are paying for a space in brick and mortar retail stores so that they will generate sales. They will even delegate a specialist salesperson who is knowledgeable in that product range. Only barrier is maintaining stock. This is handled by regional depots where we have necessary stocks or make on order basis. We are giving the customer experience the product or service, order and get it later . This is a prepaid model. This is implemented in Print on Demand stores and Make on Demand units in reality. The costs of inventory is drastically reduced. These will work on novelty products and specialty products which serve exclusive customers. Sometimes the product can be designed as per customer requirement like Dell Computers. This is a really workable business model. Internet or Intra net is a mode of communication.
drizzlein, Mar 14 2007
  

       Will I be able to try out paragraph breaks at these stores?
normzone, Mar 14 2007
  

       Baked. It's called, "every brick and mortar store in existence" Who doesn't peruse the mall for an hour or two before getting on line?
r_kreher, May 28 2016
  
      
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