iDEA'S FROM THE FAR CORNER
±3 Chain Stores
Yeah, its totally bizarre how the streets of our towns are looking weirdly clone-like these days. Exploring the UK, France and Spain recently, each had it's own distinctive architecture, but the main streets were almost identical!
Logo's with researched fonts and agreeable colours battle to embed themselves further into our psyche. Not only is this geographically disturbing, it dulls the sense of adventure when travelling, We have yielded our main streets to corporate chains, like movie vampires they've put us in a trance with shiny things, while sucking the blood of local traders and blunting our aesthetic vision in the process.
A sad characteristic of this occupation is the absence of real charm, interiors are bland, and staff have an almost zombie-like manner. While big brands like to throw ethos, mission and identity at us. They adhere to an identical business model, which is simply no longer engaging.
Maybe retails karma has arrived - the ethics of goods made in third world countries, with poor conditions, long hours, dishonest pay and abuse of labour seems ingrained within the products and staff.
We know the devastating effect corporate brands can have on us. But now they too are under attack!
Covid has removed their customer base, with no-one on the streets income has plummeted. However, sales have been going down faster than a professional footballer for the past 5 years. The power of online shopping was already surging, chains were suffering and closing at alarming rates pre lockdown. Covid has made online shopping the norm now.
These are hairy times for high street brands, they must transform or risk becoming retail dinosaurs.
So here's an ides, lets...limit the amount of chain stores in our towns!
Okay, if you are a corporate brand. Your board and shareholders may view this as a step-down. Your finance director may bark turnover or long-term property agreements. The marketing folk may claim it's about being competitive, price points or some other past century strategy. The truth is chain stores are nearing a cliff-end. The bright news is, limiting stores may offer an opportunity that benefits everyone...
The internet is unquestionably the most potent marketing tool the world has ever known. Today retail stores find themselves trapped with overheads, rent, rates, staff costs, etc etc. Compounded by the fact online shopping is a far more comfortable experience. Trudging around shops to find the right item in the right colour and size, only to find its out of stock is lame. Why encounter staff zombies, suffer dull interiors when you can sit on the sofa, make a few clicks, and voilà it arrives at the door.
This is not a new phenomenon, in the 1960s and 70's catalogue shopping by post was massive in Europe and the USA.
And like many great modern concepts, its a former champion remixed for the internet.
Restricting corporations to one store in a town and say two stores in a city, could help. Apple stores are full because there's only one or two around you. Reducing everything into one location makes business sense. It also gives the place a busy vibe. People go to Apple to touch, feel, test then decide if they want to buy, its an experience.
Okay, let's accept Apple has super-slick products and currently the most successful company on earth, but hey their model should inspire not be the exception. The negatives about buying online is receiving your item, Sometimes we're not home. Often its not wanted, so you're got to trudge to the post office to return it.
How about stores allowing us to order online and offer us two pick-up dates to collect in store...Think airline ticket.
Arrive with confirmation on your phone, scan, go to a seated cafe type area for a drink/snack, use free wi-fi until your item is called. Check it or try in on, decide, and boom off you go. Imagine going from store to store knowing your selections, in the correct size, colour, model. are waiting for you. Sounds a bit more attractive, doesn't it?
Stores must be about ambience. Not selling! This is Apple's brilliantly simple principle.
Brands may need to get out of long term property agreements, how about dividing buildings into smaller spaces for local traders or artists and receive rents? Authorities could help by reducing rates for local businesses for an initial period.
This could help regenerate local trade to thrive again. People favour supporting local shops rather than a chain. Why? Because it feels authentic. You connect with a sincere person who genuinely cares about their products and customers.
Chains are adding significantly to the environmental problem, by making cheap goods with low-quality materials.
We're getting inferior products with shorter lifespans. Causing enormous amount of refuse, this is sent to landfill sites in third world countries. An insane situation where we're dumping our garbage onto impoverished nations, who are the people making that garbage in the first place!
Its time to re-imagine what our town centre provides, to move away from the current loud message; you are here to consume. Art and culture should be considered fundamental. Involving artists would bring much-needed stimulation when walking around (note to town planners & architects; you are not artists)
Corporate goals are growth and profit, this itself is not offensive. It's just not sustainable on a local level. There is a ceiling, and we seem to have reached it. Our surroundings have a profound influence on our daily experience, we must recognise this and act to make it more engaging while doing the right thing locally and globally.
These are a few meditative reflections on a community topic from 3000monks
Not intended to induce a For or Against attitude where you must take sides. It's merely an idea!
Origin 2018
art: Junkerry
© for permission to use our words simply ask
±3 Chain Stores
Yeah, its totally bizarre how the streets of our towns are looking weirdly clone-like these days. Exploring the UK, France and Spain recently, each had it's own distinctive architecture, but the main streets were almost identical!
Logo's with researched fonts and agreeable colours battle to embed themselves further into our psyche. Not only is this geographically disturbing, it dulls the sense of adventure when travelling, We have yielded our main streets to corporate chains, like movie vampires they've put us in a trance with shiny things, while sucking the blood of local traders and blunting our aesthetic vision in the process.
A sad characteristic of this occupation is the absence of real charm, interiors are bland, and staff have an almost zombie-like manner. While big brands like to throw ethos, mission and identity at us. They adhere to an identical business model, which is simply no longer engaging.
Maybe retails karma has arrived - the ethics of goods made in third world countries, with poor conditions, long hours, dishonest pay and abuse of labour seems ingrained within the products and staff.
We know the devastating effect corporate brands can have on us. But now they too are under attack!
Covid has removed their customer base, with no-one on the streets income has plummeted. However, sales have been going down faster than a professional footballer for the past 5 years. The power of online shopping was already surging, chains were suffering and closing at alarming rates pre lockdown. Covid has made online shopping the norm now.
These are hairy times for high street brands, they must transform or risk becoming retail dinosaurs.
So here's an ides, lets...limit the amount of chain stores in our towns!
Okay, if you are a corporate brand. Your board and shareholders may view this as a step-down. Your finance director may bark turnover or long-term property agreements. The marketing folk may claim it's about being competitive, price points or some other past century strategy. The truth is chain stores are nearing a cliff-end. The bright news is, limiting stores may offer an opportunity that benefits everyone...
The internet is unquestionably the most potent marketing tool the world has ever known. Today retail stores find themselves trapped with overheads, rent, rates, staff costs, etc etc. Compounded by the fact online shopping is a far more comfortable experience. Trudging around shops to find the right item in the right colour and size, only to find its out of stock is lame. Why encounter staff zombies, suffer dull interiors when you can sit on the sofa, make a few clicks, and voilà it arrives at the door.
This is not a new phenomenon, in the 1960s and 70's catalogue shopping by post was massive in Europe and the USA.
And like many great modern concepts, its a former champion remixed for the internet.
Restricting corporations to one store in a town and say two stores in a city, could help. Apple stores are full because there's only one or two around you. Reducing everything into one location makes business sense. It also gives the place a busy vibe. People go to Apple to touch, feel, test then decide if they want to buy, its an experience.
Okay, let's accept Apple has super-slick products and currently the most successful company on earth, but hey their model should inspire not be the exception. The negatives about buying online is receiving your item, Sometimes we're not home. Often its not wanted, so you're got to trudge to the post office to return it.
How about stores allowing us to order online and offer us two pick-up dates to collect in store...Think airline ticket.
Arrive with confirmation on your phone, scan, go to a seated cafe type area for a drink/snack, use free wi-fi until your item is called. Check it or try in on, decide, and boom off you go. Imagine going from store to store knowing your selections, in the correct size, colour, model. are waiting for you. Sounds a bit more attractive, doesn't it?
Stores must be about ambience. Not selling! This is Apple's brilliantly simple principle.
Brands may need to get out of long term property agreements, how about dividing buildings into smaller spaces for local traders or artists and receive rents? Authorities could help by reducing rates for local businesses for an initial period.
This could help regenerate local trade to thrive again. People favour supporting local shops rather than a chain. Why? Because it feels authentic. You connect with a sincere person who genuinely cares about their products and customers.
Chains are adding significantly to the environmental problem, by making cheap goods with low-quality materials.
We're getting inferior products with shorter lifespans. Causing enormous amount of refuse, this is sent to landfill sites in third world countries. An insane situation where we're dumping our garbage onto impoverished nations, who are the people making that garbage in the first place!
Its time to re-imagine what our town centre provides, to move away from the current loud message; you are here to consume. Art and culture should be considered fundamental. Involving artists would bring much-needed stimulation when walking around (note to town planners & architects; you are not artists)
Corporate goals are growth and profit, this itself is not offensive. It's just not sustainable on a local level. There is a ceiling, and we seem to have reached it. Our surroundings have a profound influence on our daily experience, we must recognise this and act to make it more engaging while doing the right thing locally and globally.
These are a few meditative reflections on a community topic from 3000monks
Not intended to induce a For or Against attitude where you must take sides. It's merely an idea!
Origin 2018
art: Junkerry
© for permission to use our words simply ask
