Prediction Held up AI assessment confidence: 92% certainty 4/5 debate potential 3/5

Johnson: Physical stores will become increasingly less important in retail

Ron Johnson · a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down · Jan 2, 2019 · at 6:46

Former Apple retail executive Ron Johnson predicts long-term physical retail trends during a discussion on omnichannel distribution.

0:00 / 0:11exact quote · 11.1s
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube → 720p mp4 · rendered on demand · StarZero watermark
“In today's world, which is multi-channel, unfortunately we're in a period where stores will become increasingly less important in the total distribution mix. The world is moving online.”

quote is from the automated transcript, cleaned for reading: filler sounds and stutters are removed, nothing is rephrased. names can be misheard (the analysis reads context, assessments check outside sources). how →

More from Ron Johnson

Assertion Not checkable as stated
Johnson: Apple has had no bad product launches since opening stores
“One of the values of the Apple stores over the past 12 years is Apple has really not had a bad product launch since we had stores.”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 10:29 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Opinion
Johnson: Operating retail stores as loss leaders is a failing strategy
“Oh, I think anybody who sets up a retail store as a loss leader is going to fail. You know, there are much better ways to invest your money to build a brand and to build a business than use a store as a loss leader. Now, that has worked at times for flagship s…”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 14:44 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Disclosure
Johnson: Apple Stores were designed for customer experience, not direct sales
“And so we designed a store that wasn't about selling things. It was about making an owner have a better experience.”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 6:16 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Opinion
Johnson: Microsoft stores are significantly more successful than public perception suggests
“I think the Microsoft stores have succeeded much more than the popular opinion.”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 12:00 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Insight
Johnson: Discounting a product inherently damages and dilutes long-term brand equity
“And by definition, when you have to discount a product, it's a withdrawal from the brand.”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 19:26 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Assertion Partly supported
Johnson: Best Buy's short-term profit optimization harms long-term shareholders and employees
“Some of the best, like Best Buy yesterday reported sales down two percent. Stock went up because they earned more money. Well, if they earned more money, it's because either the vendors gave them more margin, or they reduced payroll for their employees. Both o…”
Ron Johnson Jan 2, 2019 ▶ 22:34 a16z Podcast | Building Brands and Running Retail -- Ron Johnson and Tristan Walker Break It Down
Made with StarZero

Turn any episode into a week of clips.

This entire site, over 1,000 episodes transcribed, diarized, checked and made playable, runs on the StarZero media pipeline. Drop in your own episode and the podcast clipper finds the moments worth sharing, cuts them, captions them, and reframes them for every feed.