online clothes shopping

[altitude]

do you think the internet will destroy the high street fashion store or do you believe there will always be a place for the high street fashion retailer?

[robinakira]

Hello,

on-line store open the 'NICHE' market and in general help the smaller brands find a market and for the night street the process is in place for them to close out but we still 'need' to shop as a social active, interacting with others and see new 'style'

simple question, if you get up and don't go out, what do you do you put on?


RAC

[dumb5]

i understand this in gender-specific terms. i can see menswear being dominated by the internet over the next 5 years and menswear on the high street being decimated. on the other hand a lot of ladies like shopping and consider it a social event so there will always be a demand for ladieswear on the high street. price will also have an important role. online shopping has much lower overheads so the prices are generally cheaper. of course, the brands will try to control online selling but it will be like fighting the ocean. i actually know a major brand that tells it's retailers they cannot sell online. the future's so bright you need to wear shades (bought from an online store).

[CD]

I think dumb is about right.
I don't think 'high street shops' such as Topman, River Island, Next etc will see a problem and won't be affected by the internet.
It will be the smaller retailer I think, but if they get their own online stores sorted then they could benefit from online selling.
I don't think Paul & Shark allows online selling, well not in the UK (authorised stockists). Anyone selling P&S says please ring the number to order - easy way to 'get around' the problem of not being allowed to sell online.
Especially with designer garments, I think alot of people like to see the product in person and like the shopping experience.
I think the ultimate would be some kind of bar/pub-shop! On one side a bar and the other a store. Allows people to have a drink while looking at garments & might even be able to get them drunk enough to buy some Etienne Ozeki.

[altitude]

yeah you guys are right. the fashion brands are petrified of the internet because it compromises their control. we should create a list of all the brands which refuse to let their retailers sell online.

as an aftethought what do you think of the hypothetical and weird scenario where say versace decided to not sell their brand through retailers anymore but sell their brand direct to their customers via their own global website?

[altitude]

btw, i love the idea of a bar/pub shop

[harrypothead]

both guys and girls will always demand some kind of high street presence so they can touch and try on the item before buying. i realise that online return's policies are becoming more and more accommodating to try to address this kink in their armour but it will never completely replace the physical shopping experience.

[CD]

I can't work it out, what will have the higher cost to 1) the retailer and 2) the customer?

Online shopping with delivery
or
Traditional shopping?

I can only see the price of delivery (eg Royal Mail etc) increasing due to petrol prices. This cost would obviously need to be passed on to the customer. Will there become a time when the costs involved make online shopping more expensive than tradtional shopping?

Obviously there are less overheads with online stores but the delivery issue could be a problem in future.

[CD]

Originally Posted by altitude

btw, i love the idea of a bar/pub shop

Would be one of my dreams!

Anyone want in before I go on Dragons Den?

[honcho]

from an overheads perspective, a physical store must be far more demanding financially than an online store (inc shipping), not least the staffing levels of a physical store.