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espadagroup | 12 years ago

Not sure if you've been in a real full size fulfillment center before, but while both it and a Costco store look like a big box they are remarkably different and there's no way you could operate both under the same roof.

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goatforce5|12 years ago

As I understand it, using existing retail stores to fulfil internet orders is exactly how Tesco in the UK operates their grocery delivery operation.

http://www.theguardian.com/business/2012/sep/24/tesco-dark-s...

says that they've started to build additional delivery-only stores(/warehouses?) in areas where their is sufficient demand to warrant it.

Doing it this way meant the managed to avoid the huge upfront costs in building specialist warehouses, and instead used their existing network of hundreds of stores that exist all over the UK.

frogpelt|12 years ago

It would require some remodeling. But my point is that these box stores already have a clear advantage in fulfilling orders because they already have stores and distribution centers built all over the country. Amazon is still trying to figure that part out.

Competing with Best Buy and Barnes and Noble is going to be a lot easier than competing with Wal-Mart.