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I dont know the economics of our local toy stores, but the ones that seem to thrive allow you to actually play with the toys. If it was more like a theme park o

I dont know the economics of our local toy stores, but the ones that seem to thrive allow you to actually play with the toys. If it was more like a theme park or a playground you would get parents to bring their kids in just to play. For example, let kids drive power wheels around a track. Have playscapes that they can play on and buy. And sample toys that kids can play with.

benjaminwootton 8y ago
I remember reading 20 years ago how retail stores need to turn into experience destinations. I think the perceived risk at the time was mail order rather than the internet. However, even with Apple and the Apple Store there for all to see, few retailers still seem to get this. Without the hands on element, they are really fighting a losing battle vs ecommerce.
- suresk 8y ago
  Apple sells high-margin products that are typically priced the same (or roughly so) everywhere - I don't know that there are interesting lessons for all industries to learn here. Wasn't Ron Johnson's attempt to take some of those lessons to JC Penney pretty disastrous? Everyone always has the same ideas when retailer struggles come up, and a lot of the ideas would undoubtedly make many stores more pleasant to visit. But people still buy based on cost, and that makes it hard to compete with a company who has a much lower cost model than a physical retail store and has much larger scale. I don't think retailers will stop the bleeding and start implementing some of these ideas until they can figure out how to solve the showrooming problem. They may never do so, and physical retail in most categories will be a distant memory for most of us.
  - ghaff 8y ago
    I’m a bit surprised that we haven’t ended up with some formal manufacturers showrooms fronting Amazon or whatever. But I guess as long as some big box retailers hang on there isn’t the incentive

benjaminwootton 8y ago

I remember reading 20 years ago how retail stores need to turn into experience destinations. I think the perceived risk at the time was mail order rather than the internet. However, even with Apple and the Apple Store there for all to see, few retailers still seem to get this. Without the hands on element, they are really fighting a losing battle vs ecommerce.

suresk 8y ago
Apple sells high-margin products that are typically priced the same (or roughly so) everywhere - I don't know that there are interesting lessons for all industries to learn here. Wasn't Ron Johnson's attempt to take some of those lessons to JC Penney pretty disastrous? Everyone always has the same ideas when retailer struggles come up, and a lot of the ideas would undoubtedly make many stores more pleasant to visit. But people still buy based on cost, and that makes it hard to compete with a company who has a much lower cost model than a physical retail store and has much larger scale. I don't think retailers will stop the bleeding and start implementing some of these ideas until they can figure out how to solve the showrooming problem. They may never do so, and physical retail in most categories will be a distant memory for most of us.
- ghaff 8y ago
  I’m a bit surprised that we haven’t ended up with some formal manufacturers showrooms fronting Amazon or whatever. But I guess as long as some big box retailers hang on there isn’t the incentive