So-called narrow format shops -- think dollar stores, drug stores and warehouse clubs -- have been thriving at the expense of big-box stores like Walmart and Target for several quarters now, the analysts wrote. That suggests shoppers are interested more in convenience than in having access to the kind of product variety Walmart and Target offer. I suppose this depends on which products are considered. If I only need to buy toothpaste and paper towels -- goods with easy substitutions / no real difference between brands -- then convenience is important. But if I need particular goods -- gluten-free bread or a specific movie on DVD -- then variety / big and diverse stock is necessary. I think the *real* problem may be that the market for particularized goods is so fragmented that its not cost effective to keep them in stock, because few people buy them infrequently. :(
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 15:42:25 +0000
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