AltaVista Dumps Paid Placement on Searches

Click and Mortar

from the business-models-of-the-future dept

Fri, Jul 23rd 1999 12:17pm — Mike Masnick

San Jose Merc column on how brick and mortar companies need to take advantage of the web, without necessarily becoming an internet pure play. I agree, and have been saying this for quite some time. Brick and mortar retailers do have some unique advantages over web based stores, and should exploit those to their advantage, instead of just setting up completely separate operations (as most have been).

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Todd, 23 Jul 1999 @ 1:22pm

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Integrating brick and mortar with Web is the biggest challenge for retailers, and no one has done this well (IMO). Take Barnes and Noble -- say I want to buy a book on-line, why can't they tell me whether the store nearest me (home or work) has it on hand and offer me the option of buying it via web or holding the book for a later in-store pickup. This is real integration and a real service that Amazon can't deliver.
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- Mike (profile), 23 Jul 1999 @ 1:52pm
  
  Exactly
  That's exactly what I'm talking about. Most of teh brick and mortar places have done nothing to integrate. It's stupid. I was happy to see one of the electronics retailers (suddenly I forget which) now has a program that will let you pick up items ordered over the web at one of their stores. More needs to be done, though...
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