Four elements to a store capable of beating out Wal-marts.
*Thrift store.
*Consignment goods from local repairmen and small craftspeople.
*Desktop manufacturing/On-demand batch manufacturing.
*Community-supported manufacturing service, with store as retail anchor.
These can be introduced sequentially- meaning, you can begin with a thrift store, introduce shelf space for consignment goods, introduce a workshop space with a desktop manufacturing unit for single on-demand production, and finish out facilitating batch manufacturing (both for customers and among consignment vendors).
All four stages ultimately exist at the same time, each fulfilling a different niche.
The scale must always stay relatively small. Think in terms of Starbucks, not Wal-mart. One on every corner as the market rises.
The thrift store component is meant to displace low quality consumer goods. Can be argued as a "green" focus, recycling and repair of goods. Ultimately, as small vendors are introduced into the thing, you start to win out on new goods as well- direct consumer/producer communication combined with very low batch manufacturing allow for constantly guaranteed sales.
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2 comments:
I like this idea. Small scale production and a reduction in the size of markets to make it a more local process of production and consumption. i.e. cutting out the element of the "capitalist", like pure exchange but not. (am I reading that right?)
Here's a question, could one simply franchise an operation that's m.o. was the sale of local products? A chain of stores that each sold native made products, thus always selling different things? (an example would be clothing since i think books have to do something different, say, niche markets) I mention the idea of them being a chain to create novelty around the idea and interest. Perhaps even assistance with funding and training. Dunno.
Hell yeah I do, I think it would be the franchise to end all franchises. Or another way of putting it would be a retail co-op, like Ace hardware. Every Ace is independent but they share advertising, suppliers, etc.
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