'Tis the Season of STUFF
I’m not worried about the future of retail.
I’m not worried because people are always going to need STUFF.
We love STUFF.
We love buying STUFF. We love giving STUFF. We love getting STUFF.
In the beginning, getting STUFF was simple.
You went to the building that had the STUFF, traded money for the STUFF and then took that STUFF home.
But these days, you can stay home and click a button and they bring the STUFF right to your door.
Can it get any easier? Probably.
Technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. I’m sure at some point in the future, all we’ll need to do is THINK about STUFF and it will show up instantly.
Maybe every refrigerator will come with a built-in 3D printer that connects to a bluetooth in your brain.
Craving a turkey sandwich? Ding! Check the top shelf (and it’s got light mayo, just the way you like it).
Of course, that kind of change won’t happen overnight.
Amazon didn’t just flip a switch and suddenly everybody stopped going to the mall. E-commerce grew slowly, one holiday shopping season at a time.
Yes, times are tough right now for traditional retail, but we’re still buying more than ever before.
We love STUFF. STUFF isn’t going anywhere. The only thing that’s changing is how we get our STUFF.
Here’s the thing, I’m a fan of brick and mortar. I like shopping in physical stores, talking with real people and leaving with my STUFF in hand. The good news is that more than 85% of U.S. retail business is still conducted that way.
The other good news is that the "bad news" isn’t all bad.
It’s like Einstein said, “Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only be changed from one form to another.”
Technology may be trumping tradition, but the rise of e-commerce has sparked new development opportunities. Department stores and malls are struggling but distribution and warehouse properties are booming. Logistics networks are revitalizing the industrial sector.
If you think about it, we're living in the Golden Age of Getting STUFF.?
There are more ways to get STUFF than ever before. Nobody in the history of the planet ever had more choices when it comes to getting STUFF.
King Ferdinand had to wait 8 months for Columbus to bring a pineapple back to Spain. I can have one delivered in 30-minutes.??
Today, you can drive to the store and get your own STUFF. You can order your STUFF to arrive by truck, car, robot or drone.?
Or you can do what I do: Behave yourself all year, send your PDF wishlist to the North Pole and wait for Santa Claus to deliver your STUFF on Christmas Eve. I avoid the traffic and crowds, give delivery drivers a break and can tip him with cookies and milk!
However you get your STUFF this year, I hope you have a happy, safe and healthy holiday season!
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