Yes, the high street is in trouble. But something else is going on there which is important for the future - a new division between would-be monopolies trying to sell us everything, and local enterprises with a personality behind them. If you're not one of those, you;re in trouble:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jan/04/retail-squeezed-middle-high-street?newsfeed=true
You have put your finger on a very important point. Large, cloned organisations are very efficient, but also indistinguishable from each other - i.e. BORING.
ReplyDeleteIf you want to compete in this arena you need to be the most efficient and lowest price. It works for Tesco, not for Blacks or La Senza.
This is the argument for businesses that supports the message to consumers in your Manifesto for Humans.
There's a related rant by me at http://bit.ly/wB44Em
Large retailers are happy to go along with the idea that they are highly "efficient". But in practice what they mean is that they are "efficient" at extracting profits at the expense of customers and suppliers alike.
ReplyDeleteHere is my rant on the subject
http://liberaleye.wordpress.com/2010/01/19/economies-of-bullying/