Are the days of trading numbered?

Reto Baumgartner is the owner and managing director of MySign AG and is primarily involved in digital branding.In e-commerce, not a day goes by without new bad news about bricks-and-mortar retail. More and more sales of every conceivable item are shifting to the Internet. And more and more consumers are going directly to the manufacturer. Thanks to the Internet, they are much better informed and know exactly what they want. Manufacturers are also taking this into account and offering the option of purchasing their products directly from them. And not only if it is a local manufacturer, but also from the Far East. One example is the alibaba.com platform. There you can order all items directly from the Chinese manufacturer. Although there is a minimum order quantity, it is much cheaper than from a retailer. So what used to be the preserve of a few large corporations such as Dell or Apple is now becoming more and more widespread - because consumers want it and because it is of course interesting for producers in terms of margins, but it is not quite so one-sided. Of course, consumers benefit from much more transparency, comparability and direct communication options thanks to the Internet. But it all costs time - and that is ultimately a very valuable and scarce commodity. With a new car, it may make sense because a) it is financially interesting, and b) for many consumers it is probably an exciting debate. But what if I need a new ballpoint pen? Do I really want to spend my time trying to find a manufacturer for it? The same goes for fashion items: Many people need recommendations so that they can "find" the right ones for them in the endless mass of products, or just get them recommended. This is exactly where retailers will still have a legitimacy in the future: in pre-selection, in advice, in service. This will also be worth something to consumers in the future because it saves them time and gives them security.