Episode 5: How Best Buy Beat Etailers by Learning to Love Amazon

This episode of Gordon is part 2 of a 2-part interview with Bruce Winder, Co-founder and Partner at the Retail Advisors Network, on the future of brick-and-mortar retail. Gordon is the podcast of Gordon Magazine (www.gordonmag.com).

Gordon Magazine is an online publication that believes in the inherent value of face-to-face communication which, when done right, provides insights, enrichment, and joy, which you just can't get from a screen. Gordon magazine highlights this value by covering best practices and opportunities in the brick-and-mortar retail space. Learn more at www.gordonmag.com.

In this episode, Bruce discusses why online-only companies and erstwhile consultants entering the brick-and-mortar space are taking more experienced industry veterans to school, and how some simple fixes as Best Buy created a straightforward recipe for brick-and-mortar success. Bruce also discusses how and why some big retailers are dropping the ball, and the role of private equity in the retail meltdown.

If you missed part 1 of this interview, it's definitely worth a listen. Bruce discusses how cultural inertia, combined in some cases with crippling debt levels imposed by private equity acquirers, have left many brick-and-mortar retail chains struggling to move beyond short-termism and make the changes required to re-engage with their customer base.