Changing world needs adaptations by all of us; Not just the retailers.
Actualy comming to think of it.. It is all of us that created it for a change..
Back in the day we had to search 10 houseblocks for a public payphone when away from home.. Internet? Never heard about. If you needed 1 screw you could go the a small hardware store in town and buy 1 screw.
Than the internet came, yuppies saw the convenience "No more extra rent, no more employees, no extra power bill, just me my pc and garage as storage and the post office.. Yippie, easy money from the couch!. Than the big shopping malls came looking, With a lot but little of everything, only whats common, demand determined by survey polls.
They pushed away all small retailers, they couldn't any longer compete with the price war.
You're missing one screw?.. You're screwed.. Go to the shopping mall hardware department and you can buy a plastic box with 25 pieces and hence you only need 1. Order one over the internet they can send you a 5penny screw with 5 pound postal and packing charges. Hence you buy a 25 piece box ¼ that price.
All this for what initialy was seen as convenience, order from the couch, ore a one way trip to the big malll, no more running around.. Easy money for all, the sky is the limit. Simply with the saying that's life jump on the opportunity we have to change and "One's bread is the others death".
30 decades later with uncountable 70 metre high trash piles reaching towards the sky, plastic nano particles in your daily milk.. We realise we need a change.. Change something again we shouldn't have changed in the first place.. And the economics can't allow for it the change it back the way it was.. The world is collectively stuck in convenience and making easy money..The todays generation willl laugh in your face with a big crazy WHY? If you offer them a small store to retail their goods.
I realy mis those days. With the small retailers with large product ranges stacked to the wall in little assortment boxes.. Able to buy only what you need and bring it home in a small paper bag.
I actualy have such an issue right now, i need to fix a leaking kitchen shower. It's missing a 4x6mm O-ring.. I don't know where to get 1 without driving 30 miles.
Can order it over the internet.. € 0.7 for the o-ring and €2.50 shipping.
But i guess i'm just a sentimental old fashion fart crying and ranting about back in the day everything was beter..