In any case, REI's unusual cooperative structure not only fostered a strong focus on the customer, it also made it easier to get the whole company working toward real-world integration. Everyone was on board from the beginning. Unlike at many companies, there was no resistance at REI from factions who thought the Web would cannibalize their existing business. They see the Web as competing with their other lines of business. But we take Web orders from the core Seattle customers who drive by our stores every day.
Many customers are multichannel customers.
We can't choose how our customers want to shop. So we offer any product, any time, any place. Schwartz is the author of Digital Darwinism .