Shift From Supply Side To Demand Side
by
Charlie Bess
One of the things I've mentioned in this blog before is the shift from supply side to demand side, using personalization to make the right information available to the individual. Some people talk about this as taking advantage of the long tail.
This article talks about Wal-Mart’s efforts in this space. Living in McKinney, Texas, I can see these efforts first hand. In McKinney we have Wal-Mart’s pilot "green" store that generates power via wind. In Plano, we have its "high-end" store, which is aimed at higher income individuals.
Organizations are now beginning to tackle enhancing their ability to tailor the environment to meet the needs of their customers, before the customers even realize the need. When that is accomplished, we'll see more loyal customers who buy more - whether they need it or not. This will be one of the major retailing activities of this decade.
There is a case study for sale on Harvard Business Online entitled Tanpin Kanri: Retail Practice at Seven-Eleven Japan that covers 7-Eleven’s activities in this space as well.
