Page 524 - Business Principles and Management

Chapter

Product Planning and Production 19

Management

19.1 Developing New Products

19.2 Planning a Manufacturing Business
19.3 Service Businesses

RE ALITY CHECK

Adventures in Shopping

aresa walked through the door of her home and collapsed on the couch.
She and her friend, Desiree, had just returned from a shopping trip to
La new store called Millennium. It was promoted as “the shopping expe-
rience for the 21st century,” and “the alternative to the American mall.”
Although she was tired, she couldn’t wait to tell her mother about the
experience.
“It’s the biggest store I’ve ever seen—bigger than the discount warehouses.
The store seemed to have every product you could want and a lot of products
I’ve never seen before.”
Noticing how tired Laresa appeared, her mother asked, “With such a big
store and so many products, do people really enjoy shopping there? I would
think it would be confusing and exhausting.”
Laresa replied, “It’s really easy and fun. You don’t have to walk. Instead,
you can stand on slowly moving walkways, like the ones you see in airports,
that move you up and down the aisles. There are huge video displays that
identify the types of products in each area of the store as well as smaller
computer screens you touch to find the products you want, see demonstra-
tions of the products, and get answers to your questions. You don’t have to
carry any packages. If you see something you want to buy, you enter the in-
formation in the computer. They guarantee that if the product isn’t in stock,
it will be delivered to your home within 24 hours. All of your purchases are
packaged and waiting for you when you’re ready to leave. At the checkout,
the clerk reviews your order, processes your payment, and even has the pack-
ages delivered to the curb so you can drive up with your car.”

511