Re:Tell HN: Four (hopefully) unique and useful start-up tips
by chris100 on Tuesday November 24, 2009 @06:30PM
(#960198)
The biggest barrier I can see would be overcoming the hostility from the other stores
If that's the only problem, you could just open your retail store outside a mall, where no one can bother you.
Think El Camino in Silicon Valley. If you have the best value (unbeatable price and good service), you should have a winner, right?
Possibly you could offer people an guided Internet shopping experience in the mall - people come in and, with the help of an 'Internet shopping expert', buy things at Internet prices for later delivery. As you suggest you could monetize by collecting the affiliate commission.
If running a kiosk in a small mall cost you $20,000 a month (?) you would need to persuade people to buy ~1,000 $200 TVs a month.
The biggest barrier I can see would be overcoming the hostility from the other stores who would be really keen to kick you out once they spotted what you were doing. Because they occupy more square feet I'm sure mall management would oblige.