“New retail”, coined by Alibaba, was probably the least creative business term ever. But it was a big idea. You combine online and physical retail into a seamless, data-driven consumer experience. It is giving rise to new business models, from transformed supermarkets and cashier-less convenience stores to automated package pickup centers and re-imaged department stores. […]
When you look for big competitive advantages on the cost side, it is usually about economies of scale – when a company with a larger volume has a lower per unit cost. Or, to be more precise, when a company has… …lower per unit costs based on a higher volume of production or throughput being […]
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the rise of OMO (online-merge-offline) platforms in China, such as Alibaba’s Sun Art and Beike / Lianjia. He argues that these platforms are disrupting the traditional retail and real estate industries. He explains that OMO platforms offer a number of advantages over traditional businesses, such as convenience, personalization, and data-driven insights.
In this podcast, Jeffrey Towson discusses the rise of OMO (online-merge-offline) platforms in China, such as Alibaba’s Sun Art and Beike / Lianjia. He argues that these platforms are disrupting the traditional retail and real estate industries. He explains that OMO platforms offer a number of advantages over traditional businesses, such as convenience, personalization, and data-driven insights.
In Part 1, I wrote about hypermarkets as business models. It is one of the few retail business models I kinda like. But it is the combination of Sun Art’s hypermarkets and the Alibaba ecosystem that is really interesting. That combination puts it at the frontier of new retail. And it makes it almost entirely […]
A subscriber suggested I look at Sun Art Retail as a potential investment opportunity. And, wow, thanks for that. There is a lot of fascinating stuff going on with this company. First, the basics of Sun Art. An Introduction to Sun Art Retail Group Founded in 2000, Sun Art is a leading Chinese retailer with […]