Is eCommerce killing high street shopping?

[maria102]

I am hoping to get into some type of retail - I'm thinking of a few options really (I've posted before so I won't go on), but they include dress shop/dress hire/dress agency.

However, I dont know if I have been brain-washed by eBay, but I can't help thinking of the impact that this would have on trade...Soon is everyone going to shop online and never leave the house?! Would people come to me when they can get things on eBay a bit cheaper or from some other website.....I am aware that I can offer more - ie great customer service, great image - but is this enough to encourage people to leave the house?!

[TWD-Tony]

The normal way of shopping will never die!

There are just some things that you need to go and see with your own eyes - take your example of a dress hire company, sure you could get a few people wanting to order online (so maybe you could run ecommerce to compliment the normal shop?) but the majority of people will want to see / feel & try on your products before ordering.

I suppose this applies for a lot of things - except maybe electric / electronic products where the most important thing is that they work...

Tony

[Cornish Steve]

Originally Posted by TWD-Tony

The normal way of shopping will never die!

...but it might go into intensive care.

Just look at the following industries and see where trends are taking us:

Books (Amazon)
Auctions (eBay)
Travel (Expedia)
Estate agents (visit other houses from your current living room)
Cars, especially new cars
Insurance (property, car, life)
Financial services (online banks and brokers)
Education (online universities)

Add to this list the huge amount of B2B buying and selling that takes place online.

Some stores have done a good job of implementing a 'click and mortar' approach whereby online shopping is supplemented by local stores. This means that goods purchased online can be returned to a local store if there is a problem.

The only stores that are likely to escape the online shopping trend are the following:

- Stores that sell goods that are perishable
- Stores that require considerable personal interaction
- Stores that meet the need for instant gratification

Otherwise, I wouldn't bet on traditional shopping surviving at all.

Maria, in order to make a dress shop work, you have a lot of careful planning to do. You could argue that a face-to-face visit is needed to ensure the product fits well. You can also argue that great customer service will encourage people to visit (see the book 'Hug your customers'). However, you're going to struggle to make enough profit to cover building costs, insurance, in-store inventory and the like, overheads which online stores do not face. This implies that only specialisation (wedding dresses, graduation dresses, etc.) will pay.

Having said all this, I have zero experience in retail, so you are quite at liberty to say that I am speaking hogwash.

[Alpha]

Otherwise, I wouldn't bet on traditional shopping surviving at all.

Try telling Tesco that (Or Wall Mart in the States).

but seriously Steve I believe you are are the right lines with the thought that only certain niche areas will still need to be in the High Street whilst much of the shopping requirements will be done online as broadband bandwidth increases.
In fact in 20 years time will there be a 'High Street' at all, will it be just market style traders with the only other shopping done either at Tescos or a small local convenience store.

[Jayne]

Hi,

I don't think the internet will take over going out to shops...Women love it too much

There's nothing better than a couple of hours shopping and a bite to eat to lift your spirits. I don't buy much off the internet, I don't like waiting..if I want a new dress etc, I like to go and get it that day.


Maria,

Are you wanting to buy an existing business or start one from scratch? An on-going business would have to show you their books before buying, so you would know how well the shop does and it's already got a name that you could build on.

Jayne

[Cornish Steve]

Originally Posted by Alpha

Try telling Tesco that (Or Wall Mart in the States)

They come under the categories of perishable goods and (especially) instant gratification, so they'll continue to thrive. If my wife is out of shampoo, she's not going to order some online.

Other stores in the perishable category include newspaper shops and companies selling anything that can't be shipped (e.g., ice cream).

Other stores meeting the need for instant gratification include chemists and auto repair shops.

Thinking about this, maybe low-value goods will also be purchased locally since the postage costs mean that online stores cannot compete on price.

[SillyJokes]

I can't stand high street shopping and avoid it at all costs. It is purgatory. I have better things to do.

I do love my village corner shop which supplies everything I need instantly. that I can't get online.

I like online shopping and I don't care about the high street.

I was thinking about the dress hire thing and it also occured to me that while for fancy dress there are lot of differing events for which a costume might be hired from parties, through promotional and fund raising events is there the same range of market for evening dresses, or are they only ever hired for a posh do? Plus people hire a fancy dress costume because they are only going to want to dress as Henry VIII once, but they would potentially get several wears if not more out of one evening dress so can justify the cost of buying.
Also clothes are famously incredibly cheap these days, presumably including smart dresses. At what price can you set a hire session that competes with the high street price of a dress?
Just the musings of someone who has done asolutely no research on the topic (I just said I never shop) but I have made two dresses last me two years of posh dos.

[Goodegging]

you will find ecommerce is changing the face of shops in town.

yes people will buy from ebay and this will have an impact on retail shops

but ecommerce cant cover everything and thats were retail shops have there advantages.

ie restautrnats, pubs, cofee shops, charirty shops.

mayber have a shop but do selling online too via a website!!

[RayB]

Originally Posted by Jayne

Hi,

I don't think the internet will take over going out to shops...Women love it too much

I'm a bloke and I avoid real shops at all costs. I have not been shopping for 4 years

As a family we only go to the supermaket once per annum (Xmas) and use tesco online and delivery the rest of the year.

I guess the survivors will be those that do both bricks/mortar and online shops side by side (that is what all the big boys do now)

[fridayteam]

I think also what has been completely overlooked here, are the number of people out there who don't even use a computer. Yes they do exist!

Whilst there are those that will convert totally to online shopping, there are also a lot of people who will not.

Just treat each method as a separate sales channel that targets different kinds of people for you.

So in answer to your question, no it's not killing it, more than likely it's helping to keep the rent paid on time!