It sees its stores as a strength, not an albatross. If we only let you do business with us on the Internet and don't make it seamless to return merchandise or get store information on the Internet, then we've failed. It's something the pure virtuals will never be able to do. When you begin to deliver personal shopping into somebody's home, the customers' expectations go up. They demand immediate gratification, and the quick receipt and delivery of merchandise.
Traditional retailers tend to be defensive.
They refuse to do anything online that will cannibalize their sales. We find this totally ridiculous. Far from being threatened, we see this as another way to win. The e-retailer made these huge investments this year, after an an onslaught of customers last Christmas. Now we look at them as our core strengths.