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Love this take on the future use of space at a distributor. And to take it a step further, as less space is needed for stocking commodities that are readily available on line, more space will be available for executing value-add services like training, pre-fabrication, project management meetings, etc.

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Yes, Gabe squarely hit the concept with what I consider a Starbucks model: for the last two decades plus Starbucks has become an oasis for nomad workers and job seekers. By positioning physical locations as a place to get off the job site and out of the pickup, physical stores offer temp office space. I think a big upside could be to have products and services present when real problem solving gets done. By having resources at hand, it should vastly increase the odds that your business offerings become part of those solutions. For a plumbing distributor, are customers more likely to choose your offerings if they meet at your location, or at a Starbucks?

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