"The Customer's Always Right"

Change in retail marketing, sales and distribution is the life-blood of successful small  businesses and giant mega - corporations.  Take Amazon.com, for example.  In order to avoid expensive bricks and mortar stores in high rent urban/rural locations, Amazon built an on-line sales empire that is the envy of the world.  Apart from a dazzling number of products and services, Amazon pioneered customized content for shoppers.  Using data about customers' purchase history, their location, occupation, age etc.;  Amazon will pop-up similar products or related items of interest.  So if someone bought the epic movie " Dumb and Dumber", the company may offer "The Three Stooges"  or "Kiss Me Stupid"  or some other I.Q. popping blockbuster.

In a bid to compete with Amazon,  Wal-Mart U.S.A ( the world's biggest retailer)  is rebuilding its website to offer more personalized features that will enhance its customers' experience into the internet shopping world.  Last year, Wal-Mart reported a decline in business at its mega-store locations;  but a 30% increase in e-commerce sales.

The bottom line for Wal-Mart is total customer service, savings and satisfaction in any format the customer wants.  This "one-stop shop"  concept was summed up by Simon Rodrigue, vice-president of Walmart.ca:  "It's not about an e-commerce channel or about a store channel anymore.  It's really about the customer in the middle.  If they want to buy online, if they want to buy on the phone, if they want to buy in store, we want to make sure we're serving them".

Change and competition in a free market - what a great combination for success!