The Future of Retail

Negroponte does not explicitly state his thesis in his article. If I was the author, my thesis would be "online shopping will become the primary method of shopping in the future, although enjoyment and social factors will prevent retail shopping from disappearing entirely."

This reading relates closely to Norman's concepts of user-focused design. In Norman's article, the author discussed how the design of products should be easy to understand and straightforward. Consumers should not have to read an instruction manual over more than one time to operate a common, day to day product. Effective product design does not just mean designing the most aesthetically appealing product possible, but rather means designing with the consumer in mind. Negroponte's article addresses his belief that retail shopping will take a major hit in the near future due to the fact that it is inconvenient for shoppers. Although retail shopping is obviously not a product that can be designed, the same principles of consumer-focus still apply. For example, Negroponte uses the example of a bookstore to show how retail shopping is difficult for consumers: "All of the elements are against you: weather, time, energy, price, not to mention availability. Instead, by logging onto, say, Amazon.com, you can order the book in less time than it would take to call and see if your local bookseller has it in stock." Clearly, in terms of consumer friendliness, online shopping comes out on top of retail shopping. Nonetheless, Negroponte addresses some of the reasons that people still go out to shop instead of shopping exclusively online. Among these reasons is that going out to do shopping is an experience that the internet cannot replace, and has turned into a social opportunity. This leads Negroponte to one of his main conclusions: although online shopping has not completely replaced retail shopping, it will force retailers to become better and operate with the consumer in mind. Retailers that are not convenient for shoppers, whether they have inadequate parking, poor staff, or lack of product availability, will not be able to compete against online powerhouses.

This is a difficult question for me to answer, since I have very little experience with online shopping. I have never used any online trading websites, such as eBay or Craig's List, and have only purchased products online on several occasions. However, based on my experiences, I do not think Negroponte's ideas are particularly relevant today. The article was written over ten years ago, in a time when computers and the internet were not as widespread as they are today. In this period of development, there was probably a great deal of excited speculation about how the internet would change the world as it was known. In this case, I feel that Negroponte's speculation about the impact of internet shopping is erroneous. While internet shopping is definitely an option, I think many people still favor going to stores to get the true shopping experience. Another reason that this article loses credibility in my mind is because of the author's suggestion that mailboxes should include built-in refrigerators. This sounds like science fiction more than a realistic prediction about the future of retail and shopping. Although his predictions about the rise of internet shopping may be inaccurate, the author's points about the importance of user-focused design are very relevant. The threat of online shopping, paired with competition from well run businesses, forces stores to be convenient for shoppers.

I really do not think retail will change very much over the next century. For many, shopping is an activity, and is all about the experience. Shopping is like the staple that will remain constant over a long period of time. While many things will change, such as how we get to the stores, what we wear, and what we buy, the actual shopping experience will not change very much in my opinion. Stores will continue to use the strategies that we have studied in this class to sell their products. For example, consider one principle: zone four design. Businesses will never stop trying to push customers all the way to the back of the store. This is because the idea of forcing customers to see every product that the store has to offer will not change, regardless of the time. Nonetheless, one area of retail that may adapt with the times is the use of technology. We already see technology used in innovative ways in stores like Apple. At this store, to get assistance from an employee, a shopper must register his name with another employee. In the future, this use of electronic devices will likely increase. Shoppers might be given an electronic device upon entering the store that allows them to contact and communicate with an employee. As the world becomes increasingly digital, people love new ways to connect and interact with other people.