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An article about The Works Stores Ltd stopping online sales got me thinking about something bigger.
When every brand starts competing on convenience, they all start heading in the same direction.
Faster. Cheaper. Easier. More frictionless.
All good things. But not very distinctive - and a tough game to win if you’re trying to out-Amazon Amazon.
That’s why I found The Works’ decision so interesting.
Around 90% of its sales were already happening in-store. So online wasn’t its advantage. It was a distraction - and a loss-making one at that.
This doesn’t feel like retreat.
It feels like a business doubling down on what actually works: a network of around 500 stores, with plans to open more, and a digital presence used to inspire people and drive them in.
And it made me think of Sostrene Grene too.
More than 300 stores globally. Still expanding. But in a very deliberate way.
As Jonathan Cooper UK CEO shared on a recent HighStreetPositives webinar, the focus isn’t speed or efficiency.
It’s experience.
What some are starting to call “slow retail” - not slow for the sake of it, but designed to be explored, not rushed.
Primark has shown a version of this too, using digital selectively through Click & Collect while keeping the store experience at the centre.
That feels like the bigger shift.
If every brand is optimising for convenience, the real opportunity may lie somewhere else: in experience, atmosphere and distinctiveness.
Because when everything becomes easy, everything starts to feel the same.
