Molson Hart

This will cause the following things to happen: 1. A renaissance in businesses that are not disrupted by e-commerce (restaurants, nail salons, gyms etc.) 2. If a town has two malls, instead of both being half empty, one will shutter completely, the other consolidating.

3. The "store" will become an analog to the "phone" - an anachronism that used to mean one thing, a place where we store goods or a device we use to speak to people, that now means something totally different. Today's phones connect you to the internet.

The future's stores will not store good, but will instead just function as advertising. It's early, but for durable hardgoods, Bonobo's Guideshops and B8ta's pay to have your products in the store and sampled seem like the way forward.

High Street brick and mortar real estate is just too valuable for good storage. It makes much more sense to turn it into experiential advertising for products. Instead stocking 5 units of 100 skus, stock a sample of 500 skus. Allow shoppers to discover and ship to their homes.

Rents will never come down enough to make brick and mortar retail competitive to e-commerce in most categories. Internet just has too many advantages. And no matter how much why wife complains about our prime now shoppers fruit picking, grocery is next.