Category Archives: Thinking Aloud

July 15, 2013 · 11:07 am

Non-virtual Commerce Portals

I do most of my non-food shopping online and I think I might have made a mistake that’s all too common among business folks:  I assumed I was just mirroring that habits of the public at large.  I also figured that shopping malls would be on their last legs.  After all, if you never have to leave your house to go shopping or stand in a checkout line while some whiny baby serenades you, why wouldn’t you choose to do that?

Shopping mall

(Photo credit: pix.plz)

Not only am I way off base, but there is research that shows just how far wrong I am.  Despite some fairly big gains with respect to share of market by online merchants, 95% or shopping still occurs offline. According to a recent Nielsen report, in the fourth quarter of 2012, 5.4% of retail sales came from online channels, up from 3.6% in Q1 2008.  Big gains, a lot of dollars, but still a fraction of the retail world.  Why do I think this might be of interest to you?

Other than media, there is no other sector of business so dramatically affected by the grown of digital than bricks and mortar retail.  Since shopping malls have replaced the “downtown” in most places outside of major cities, they are sort of ground zero to feel the impact of this change.  Yet although many of them are suffering through high vacancy rates and others (as shown in this Dead Mall site) are dead and gone, something else is happening that is instructive.  As Nielsen found:

Malls are changing their focus and aren’t just places to buy things. They’re social centers, places for entertainment and employment hubs. They’re also transforming what consumers can expect from a shopping experience.  The line between shopping, entertainment, and community building has blurred. This blending of experiences has created an opportunity for retail to strengthen social ties within communities looking for communal experiences.

In other words, “Malls” are now non-virtual commerce portals.  I think they can go further.  Imagine a “guy” mall, for example.  Instead of Macy’s or Target as an anchor tenant, maybe it’s an indoor driving range, a shooting range, a bowling alley and a sports bar, surrounded by men’s shops, hardware stores, etc.  Why not stretch the thinking a bit and develop that property next to one that’s female oriented.   Combine each with an active social presence (Instagram and Pinterest will be very helpful here) and you’ve transformed the “mall” experience into something more akin to how people shop online.

We all need to think out of the box before they put our business in one to bury it.  You with me?

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July 12, 2013 · 8:50 am

Seeing vs. Doing

It’s Foodie Friday, and the topic today is culinary school. There is an ongoing debate in food professional circles about the value of, and need for, culinary school educations and I think it’s a discussion that has broader implications for those of us not in the food business.  Basically the debate boils down (should I say “reduces” since we’re discussing cooking?) to this:  is it preferable for new cooks to learn in school or learn by working?

Chef

(Photo credits: http://www.myparkingsign.com)

Some very high-profile chefs have weighed in or either side of the question.  Some such as Daniel Boulud feel that a formal culinary school education is indispensable.  Other such as David Chang think that path is overrated and that the time is better spent working in a professional kitchen.  Or as he puts it:

If you look at all my heroes, the chefs around the world, most of them never went to cooking school. What they did is they had a great mentor. You name a chef that’s awesome and people want to work for him, I’d say a majority of the time they never went to cooking school.

He goes on to make a point that culinary school students will learn skills in a very elementary fashion without any frills or shortcuts that they might learn in a professional kitchen, which is also a great broader business point and that’s my focus today.  I’ve worked with people who went to business school and with those who spent the time working.  While there was no question that the B-school folks knew what to call certain types of analyses, many of them had a totally unrealistic view of what business was about.  As many of you know, it’s not exactly as it appears in textbooks.

Technical training is valuable.  I think, however, it’s most valuable in fields such as law or medicine where there are standards to be met.  Most other businesses have no such standards – the food world certainly doesn’t.  I think a young person is better served working in a profession and, and Chang says, finding a great mentor.  Coming out of a culinary school or a B school laden with debt affects how you can approach your career – and life – every day going forward.  Is it really needed?

I suppose it’s Twain‘s reference to schooling vs. education or maybe it’s just seeing vs. doing.  I come down on the side of doing.  Where do you stand?

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July 9, 2013 · 10:15 am

The Heart Of The Matter

I’ve officially named this day of the week TunesDay. Just as Fridays are for food-related screeds, I’m going to try to stick to music on this day of the week. Forewarned is forearmed!

Don Henley

Of course, since it’s a music day, let me talk about sports (hard to keep up with me, isn’t it?). I read a piece yesterday about Michael Dyer, a former running back who played for Auburn. He was suspended by Auburn in December 2011, late in his sophomore season, for failing a drug test. He’s never been convicted of a crime but has made some incredibly stupid decisions about his friends.  I bring this up because this kid, who has 2 years of eligibility left and is a top player, can’t get a sniff from any school to go play football. Too risky. Too many other choices out there. He damaged his brand and now needs forgiveness.

Which leads to today’s song (you knew I’d get here!).  One of my favorite songs comes from Don Henley and is called “The Heart Of The Matter.”  A live performance is below.  The song is about someone screwing up and asking for forgiveness – not to wipe away the transgression but to heal the wound:

I’ve been tryin’ to get down
To the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
And my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it’s about…forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don’t love me anymore

I think it’s a beautiful, heartfelt  soliloquy on the subject.  That’s what Dyer is seeking and I think it’s what many businesses end up seeking as well.  The problem is that it’s not always forthcoming, even if the business knew how to ask in terms even half as wonderful as these.

Some business people with whom I’ve worked have felt the “better to ask for forgiveness instead of permission” approach is the preferable way to go.  I disagree.  We live in an age when consumers and clients have access to multiple sources for virtually anything.  Schools can find great running backs – thank you web-based recruiting sites – and vet them carefully.  Who needs to take the risk that an entire program suffers due to one bad apple?

As a brand and a business, the heart of the matter is that behaving honorably – transparently, respecting privacy, keeping the customer’s perspective – negates the need to ask for forgiveness.  It’s not something you want to do, even in terms as nice as these.

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