New Business-to-Consumer Retail Craze

They're calling it shops, or "S-Commerce" and it's being rolled out in
cities and towns nationwide. "It's a real revelation," according to Malcolm
Jones, a middleware engineer from Richmond. "You just walk into one of
these shops and they have all sorts of things for sale."

Jones was particular impressed by a clothes shop he discovered while
browsing in South Yarra. "Shops seem to be the ideal medium for
transactions of this type. I can actually try out a jacket and see if it fits me.
Then I can visualize the way I would look if I was wearing the
clothing." This is possible using a high definition 2D viewing system,
or "mirror" as it has become known.

Shops, which are frequently aggregated into shopping portals or "high
streets", are becoming increasingly popular with the cash-rich
time-poor generation of new consumers. Often located in densely
populated areas people can find them extremely convenient. And Malcolm
is not alone in being  impressed by shops.

"Some days I just don't have the time to download huge Flash animations
of rotating trainers and then wait five days for them to be delivered
in the hope that they will actually fit," says Sandra Bailey, a systems
analyst from Melbourne. "This way I can actually complete the
transaction in real time and walk away with the goods." Being able see
whether or not shoes and clothing fit has been a real bonus for Bailey,
"I used to spend my evenings boxing up gear to return. Sometimes the
clothes didn't fit, sometimes they just sent the wrong stuff."

Shops have a compelling commercial story to tell too, according to
Gartner Group retail analyst Carl Baker. "There are massive
efficiencies in the supply chain. By concentrating distribution to a
series of high volume outlets in urban centres - typically close to
where people live and work - businesses can make dramatic savings in
fulfilment costs. Just compare this with the wasteful practice of delivering
items piecemeal to people's homes."

Furthermore, allowing consumers to receive goods when they actually
want them could mean an end to the frustration of returning home to
find a despatch notice telling you that your goods are waiting in a
delivery depot the other side of town.

But it's not just the convenience and time-saving that appeals to
Jones, "Visiting a shop is real relief for me. I mean as it is I spend
all day in front of a freaking computer."

"It's a Knockout"

Tommo