[bjo590]

> This is a great observation. I think that every business looking at option 1 would run away in terror, as that would mean competing directly with Amazon.

I don't think pivoting online is a suicidal move for many business, but it takes a different type of mindset to make it work. I'd like to highlight heatonist.com as an example of someone doing it right. It's a NYC based hot sauce boutique with a web presence. They create quality web content and use it as advertising (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAzrgbu8gEMIIK3r4Se1d...). Their inventory is a curated list of high quality products. Their web reviews are all from people in the same tribe of hot sauce fans. Their website and shipping practices are all _good enough_.

[billjings]

What makes it work? I see the web content, but driving web content to Amazon would make the site pointless. It seems like Amazon's prices are higher, though. Is it direct sales?