Retail's last mile

the long version

The disruption of store retail by online shopping has only just begun. Few retailers are ready for the changes ahead. Some customers shop in stores because they love to, but mostly they do it because there is no convenient alternative. This is changing. Technology which enables customers to make smart digital decisions and a wave of innovation in logistics are combining to solve the challenge of "retail's last mile" how to profitably sell and deliver products to customers shopping from home. Online retail expert Jonathan Reeve forecasts that last-mile innovations will see shopping online overtake shopping in stores within 20 years. Few players have grasped the extent to which their business models and mindsets need to change. The Amazons of this world have blazed the trail and a small number of retailers are keeping up. Most are well behind and have underestimated the threat. Reeve urges us to get ready before it's too late.