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Full disclosure: I am the co-founder and lead developer at https://www.locally.com https://www.locally.com. We do exactly what I describe below and we're seeing

Full disclosure: I am the co-founder and lead developer at https://www.locally.com https://www.locally.com. We do exactly what I describe below and we're seeing great results. People want to buy from their local stores. They just need the modern paths to purchase: BOPIS (buy online pick up in store), local delivery, and the knowledge oh what is in stock nearby. IMHO, the real path forward for retail is to get their in-stock goods in front of online shoppers via their brands' web sites, their own web site and local marketplace sites. Ecommerce is not the solution because nobody can expect to compete with Amazon. Brands are learning the hard way that they cannot go D2C (direct to consumer), nor make a profit off selling on Amazon. They HAVE to support their network of retailers: small and large. Yes, the day of reckoning for retail is coming. But it won't be an apocalypse. 90+% of retail transactions still occur in a brick and mortar store and people love to shop. Most retailers (and brands) just don't have the data and tools (yet) to drive traffic to stores. They're still figuring out the Amazon problem. We're getting there though.

plies 9y ago
Hi phirschybar, in the future please put the "FULL DISCLOSURE" part up top, rather than as an after thought. It didn't feel very good to read your comment and then only find out at the end that you have both a personal and professional stake in the matter.
- phirschybar 9y ago
  @plies, cool. just edited.
_rpd 9y ago
> People want to buy from their local stores. Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. > BOPIS (buy online pick up in store) Why is this attractive to anyone? If I am making the effort to fight traffic and parking to visit a physical location, I want to handle the item. "BOPIS" seems like the worst of all worlds to me. > knowledge of what is in stock nearby This is crucial. This is the main reason I no longer visit physical stores. They likely don't have the item I want in stock. It's just an exercise in pure frustration. I don't want to be cross-sold or up-sold, and I certainly don't need someone to order an item that will require a return visit in 2-4 weeks. > local delivery Maybe if it is same day, otherwise why do people care?
- phirschybar 9y ago
  > Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. really? even for things like bikes, sporting goods, clothes, running shoes, ... I could go on. And the thing is: you'd still be ordering online, just not from amazon. if you order directly from brands and the brand can inform you that there is a local shop that has it within miles, why not get it there? why waste the resources of having to have it shipped (long distance) only to potentially have to ship it back? > BOPIS same day delivery beats BOPIS but it is a solid option when there is limited stock. you are putting on hold. best buy and home depot are killing with this right now. > knowledge of what is in stock nearby yep. > delivery agreed.
  - _rpd 9y ago
    > > Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. > really? even for things like bikes, sporting goods, clothes, running shoes, ... I could go on. I have personally ordered all of these online, although there are some types of clothes that I don't like ordering online. > And the thing is: you'd still be ordering online, just not from amazon. if you order directly from brands and the brand can inform you that there is a local shop that has it within miles, why not get it there? Because I have to schedule a trip to the location. To me, this is like asking: "why not travel to the post office to pick up your mail?" Well, because instead the item can be delivered to my door step. > why waste the resources of having to have it shipped (long distance) only to potentially have to ship it back? In both cases, the item is traveling the same distance from manufacturer to my door step. It is more efficient to ship the item from the warehouse directly to my door step vs. first shipping it to some random location miles from my door step. The only difference is whose resources are used to ship the item the last few miles: my vehicle or a UPS truck. I guarantee the UPS truck is dozens of times more efficient. With Amazon Prime (90 million US subscribers) shipping and most returns are free, so I'm paying twice if I use my vehicle to pick something up from a store. The current Amazon return process (explicitly to take this argument off the table): box arrives at door step, open box, try out item, take out preprinted return sticker, put return sticker on box, put box on door step, let Amazon know to pick it up. It is no effort. This is rare enough that the efficiency impact is minimal, although possibly less rare for clothes. The situation may change if returns become full fare. > BOPIS ... is a solid option when there is limited stock This is a super rare situation for me, but I agree that BOPIS is superior in this situation. > best buy and home depot are killing with this right now I'm quite surprised by this, is there a good article about this around?
paulcole 9y ago
> BOPIS Isn't this similar to the last-ditch effort Blockbuster tried while in its death throes? I remember them taking on Netflix with the idea that it sucked to wait for another movie in the mail, so just come into the store and pick up a new one! Not surprisingly, it turned out people hate going to stores more than they hate waiting.
- phirschybar 9y ago
  I am not talking about digital goods.
  - paulcole 9y ago
    Neither was I. For many years Netflix actually mailed DVDs (physical goods) to your home.
    - phirschybar 9y ago
      right, but I mean things that can't ever become digital. not media products, just physical goods. and yeah I used to get netflix DVDs to my home. and hit blockbuster for many years before that. there was no possible good ending for blockbuster!

plies 9y ago

Hi phirschybar, in the future please put the "FULL DISCLOSURE" part up top, rather than as an after thought. It didn't feel very good to read your comment and then only find out at the end that you have both a personal and professional stake in the matter.

phirschybar 9y ago
@plies, cool. just edited.

_rpd 9y ago

> People want to buy from their local stores. Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. > BOPIS (buy online pick up in store) Why is this attractive to anyone? If I am making the effort to fight traffic and parking to visit a physical location, I want to handle the item. "BOPIS" seems like the worst of all worlds to me. > knowledge of what is in stock nearby This is crucial. This is the main reason I no longer visit physical stores. They likely don't have the item I want in stock. It's just an exercise in pure frustration. I don't want to be cross-sold or up-sold, and I certainly don't need someone to order an item that will require a return visit in 2-4 weeks. > local delivery Maybe if it is same day, otherwise why do people care?

phirschybar 9y ago
> Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. really? even for things like bikes, sporting goods, clothes, running shoes, ... I could go on. And the thing is: you'd still be ordering online, just not from amazon. if you order directly from brands and the brand can inform you that there is a local shop that has it within miles, why not get it there? why waste the resources of having to have it shipped (long distance) only to potentially have to ship it back? > BOPIS same day delivery beats BOPIS but it is a solid option when there is limited stock. you are putting on hold. best buy and home depot are killing with this right now. > knowledge of what is in stock nearby yep. > delivery agreed.
- _rpd 9y ago
  > > Why? I love my local baker, but for brand name items, I'm going to order online. > really? even for things like bikes, sporting goods, clothes, running shoes, ... I could go on. I have personally ordered all of these online, although there are some types of clothes that I don't like ordering online. > And the thing is: you'd still be ordering online, just not from amazon. if you order directly from brands and the brand can inform you that there is a local shop that has it within miles, why not get it there? Because I have to schedule a trip to the location. To me, this is like asking: "why not travel to the post office to pick up your mail?" Well, because instead the item can be delivered to my door step. > why waste the resources of having to have it shipped (long distance) only to potentially have to ship it back? In both cases, the item is traveling the same distance from manufacturer to my door step. It is more efficient to ship the item from the warehouse directly to my door step vs. first shipping it to some random location miles from my door step. The only difference is whose resources are used to ship the item the last few miles: my vehicle or a UPS truck. I guarantee the UPS truck is dozens of times more efficient. With Amazon Prime (90 million US subscribers) shipping and most returns are free, so I'm paying twice if I use my vehicle to pick something up from a store. The current Amazon return process (explicitly to take this argument off the table): box arrives at door step, open box, try out item, take out preprinted return sticker, put return sticker on box, put box on door step, let Amazon know to pick it up. It is no effort. This is rare enough that the efficiency impact is minimal, although possibly less rare for clothes. The situation may change if returns become full fare. > BOPIS ... is a solid option when there is limited stock This is a super rare situation for me, but I agree that BOPIS is superior in this situation. > best buy and home depot are killing with this right now I'm quite surprised by this, is there a good article about this around?

paulcole 9y ago

> BOPIS Isn't this similar to the last-ditch effort Blockbuster tried while in its death throes? I remember them taking on Netflix with the idea that it sucked to wait for another movie in the mail, so just come into the store and pick up a new one! Not surprisingly, it turned out people hate going to stores more than they hate waiting.

phirschybar 9y ago
I am not talking about digital goods.
- paulcole 9y ago
  Neither was I. For many years Netflix actually mailed DVDs (physical goods) to your home.
  - phirschybar 9y ago
    right, but I mean things that can't ever become digital. not media products, just physical goods. and yeah I used to get netflix DVDs to my home. and hit blockbuster for many years before that. there was no possible good ending for blockbuster!