WW_Watcher - 5:30 pm on Jan 24, 2006 (gmt 0)

In come cases the brick and mortar store exists only because of a website. This model may in come cases replace other stores that did not change to meet the customers needs, and buying patterns.

In our case, we started as only an online store, for the first 6 months. We needed a storefront/shop to get more suppliers (required in our industry for the big suppliers). We also needed a larger facility for shipping. We operate in a small town, with less than 1% of our product being bought locally (within 100 miles), and are now the largest store/shop in the town. We do not stock everything we sell, there is no need, because we do not get much drop in trade, and therefore do not have the overhead of having to have everything in inventory.

We have now progressed to the point that there is NO brick and mortar establishment that offers everything that our website offers, you would have to drive all over the US and Canada to find these items, and in some cases, we are now manufacturing some of the custom items, so you would have to drive here also. We offer one stop shopping for a very large varity of items you cannot get in any other single place. And you can shop from your home.

If a brick and mortar store cannot adapt to compete, it goes under, this is just the way it is, and always has been. You snooze,,, you lose.

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