NEWS worthy Clips (2/2)

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From Cyberspace to Storefront

Setting up a brick-and-mortar shop is expensive. Rent, architects, interior designers, fixtures, merchandise racks, electricity and sales personnel all cost money.

“There are a lot of mom-an-pop* shops online because it’s just expensive to open a store,” says analyst Sucharita Mulpuru. merchants can set up shop online with merely a dozen items.
A whole new model

says Chris VanDyke. His outdoor apparel start-up, Nau Inc., opened what it calls a “webfront” in Chicago earlier this month. It is one of four stores the online retailer is opening that aims to marry* online and offline shopping.

The 2,000-square-foot boutique* carries just enough merchandise to allow shoppers to try on items and gauge* the fit. The idea is to encourage shoppers to research and order Nau’s products directly from the computer kiosks* in the store. In turn, Nau keeps overhead* costs low by shipping the purchases from a central warehouse directly to shoppers’ homes.

“Our whole model is based on having a small store with lower lease, build-out * and people costs,” VanDyke says. “We’re trying to build a brand as well.” It’s a risk, but if it works, VanDyke believes it could change the way people shop. Nau plans to open another 20 stores by 2008, and? having as many as 140 stores.

Lasting advantages

Consultant Lauren Freedman recalls the early days of online retail, when dot-com gurus* struck fear into brick-and-mortar stores. “The bottom line is, the portability of a catalog won’t go away and the tactile* component of a store will always exist, ” she says. “There’s something about showcasing a brand at a good store. When you do it well, you can’t match that [online].”

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Vocabulary Focus

marry(v)--- to match or join two things together

gauge (v)--- to make a judgment about something

guru (n)--- a person who is respected for their knowledge of a particular subject and who gives advice

tactile (adj)--- related to touch

Specialized terms

mom-and-pop(adj phr)--- (通常由一個家庭經(jīng)營的)小型商店的 referring to a small business that is typically owned and operated by a family

start-up(n)--- 新公司 a new business

boutique(n)--- 精品店；流行服飾店 a small store that sells fasionable clothes, shoes, jewelry and similar items

kiosk(n)--- 公用電腦站 an interactive computer terminal make available for use by the public

overhead(n)--- (企業(yè)的房租、水電等)日常費用；營運成本 the regular and necessary costs, such as rent, heat, electricity and telephone, involved in operating a business

build-out(n)--- 發(fā)展；擴張 the development and planned growth of something

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