<i>&gt;I am curious whether the jury is out on so-called "Mall" sites on the</i>
<i>&gt;Internet, or whether this is even a meaningful metaphor on the web. Real</i>
<i>&gt;(as opposed to virtual) shopping malls are typically comprised of a</i>
<i>&gt;disparate collection of stores located for geographic convenience to</i>
<i>&gt;consumers. However, given the distributed nature of the net, it is not at</i>
<i>&gt;all clear to me that the mall metaphor is particularly logical in this</i>
medium.
Although they may give that impression, real world malls are usually not
planned as a 'disparate' collection of stores. They are developed with many
different market driven goals in mind. The list of mall 'types' is lengthy,
including organization by demographics, convenience, and 'product' affinity.
In the case of regional malls especially, there is careful attention given to
the 'mix' of tenants that has a proven draw. Often there is a 'critical mass'
of similar store types that is essential to provide a meaningful presence in
any one category. (Men's Apparel, Shoes, Jewelry, etc.) Being the exclusive
retailer in one type of mall has value (e.g. a Pharmacy in a strip mall,) and
in another could mean potential failure. (e.g. Junior Sportswear in a
regional mall.)
The interesting thing about future Net commerce is that it will likely
operate at many levels of organization. In some cases it may even follow the
old real estate axiom about the three most important elements of a store's
success: 'LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION!' It's very possible that the 'high
speed' cable providers will find a valuable revenue stream in creating
dedicated marketplaces that are truly convenient, comprehensive shopping
environments. (I'm NOT talking about the AOL, etc. type of thing!) If there
is a possibility to locate this service close to the 'front page' so to
speak, it could be very valuable 'electronic real estate.' It may even
provide a parallel to the site location strategies of the 'built' world.
Major retailers would find a relatively high priced 'lease' in this setup a
small price to pay for the resulting traffic. (I should add that I find the
current makeup of many 'cybermalls' of little value. A haphazard and
incomplete grouping of 'dog food, flowers, and snow tires' IMHO is not worth
a return visit.)
The interesting thing is that there is never an 'absolute' in the retail
world! The same digital tools that threaten to turn everything into a
commodity, are the same kind of tools that will bring differentiation and
added value to 'stores,' products, and services.
Best regards,
Richard F. Sokolnicki &lt;ARKGRP@aol.com&gt; (201) 391-2559
ARKIZON GROUP
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"...it is the real which makes itself possible,
and not the possible which becomes real." - Henri Bergson
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