The Online High Street

How shared e-commerce baskets could save smaller online retailers

Amazon is a Great Big Problem for many small (and not so small) businesses trying to sell their products online. The main bone of contention seems to be how difficult it is to compete on price and service, when service is considered in the context of delivery options and returning goods.

So where are the opportunities to take on Amazon and win? They could be in delivering an online retail experience that’s preferable to Amazon’s highly functional one. However, this doesn’t necessarily tackle their other strength as a one-stop-shop. Many weird and wonderful items can be checked out in a single basket.

What if we shared our baskets?

Perhaps if smaller online retailers worked together to offer a single basket, allowing the consumer to purchase from more than one website in one transaction, they would all benefit. It’s just an idea. None of the practicalities have been thought through. But if we don’t ask questions like this, nothing will change. And change is good. For the online giant and the smallest boutique alike.