Mycornerdeli emerged as a B2C model. Independent businesses such as gas station food marts, restaurants and gift shops are beginning to explore how they can use the Internet to band together and improve their purchasing power from manufacturers and distributors. The real benefit is tying the stores together and allowing them to be part of the promotions that now only benefit big chains. In other words, the key is B2B. MCD has cut deals for their member stores with half a dozen suppliers so far, including Parmalat Milk and Haagen Dazs. Negotiating these kinds of deals with manufactures, distributors, and the merchants gave these former lawyers and bankers a valuable education on how things work in Manhattan.
Merchants pay for deliveries in cash.
It's an archaic world of muscles and trucks. If this old economy system could be streamlined, they reasoned, the money would flow. But this would require far more than a standard business to business website. MCD co-founder Harris Cohen is developing the technology to make an automated supply chain for their stores a reality. If his plan works, as a bag of Fritos makes its way from manufacturer, to corner store, to the consumer, wireless scanners will inform a central database of its progress in real time.