This talk will compare the service & repair industry to other channels that have experienced “overnight success.” Some, like the one-hour optical business, have experienced sustained relevance. This is a good example because of the high service quality, rapid delivery and technical nature of the product. Others, like video rental, or online CD stores were shooting stars that grew very fast, rose high but declined just as rapidly when displaced by streaming technology. Several “category killer” concepts, like toys, consumer electronics, pet products and office products, have experienced dramatic consolidation. The mobile service & repair business can study these examples to foresee how certain technology changes, like unbreakable screens and waterproofing, are likely to alter the business in a few short years. That means planning now to evolve and broaden the offering into other allied categories that are linked to the mobile device. Does the future lie in home automation service contracts?
JAMES TENSER
Author and analyst James Tenser has covered every retail channel you can think of. He is president of VSN Strategies, a strategy and Content Marketing consultancy focused on retail, consumer products and related technology. He is a regular “BrainTrust” commentator on RetailWire.com and the author of two books and hundreds of publications on retail topics.
