An indepth analysis from Retail Prophet's founder Doug Stephens, where he describes his 10 archetypes for future retailers. Interesting enough, when he mentions the appetite for online "Apex Predator" retail giants, the only parameter not taken into account in his analysis is to know who owns the goods. Marketplaces do not own the goods, which ultimately put pressure on brands, who have to finance their stock. One may wonder if this is viable on the long run for creativity and diversity of the offer.

Another point worth to note: among the many examples to illustrate the 10 archetypes, only 2 department stores are mentioned: Selfridges for its customer experience, and Nordstrom for their customer service. Where would you put your own department store in this list?

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How to survive the future of retail