news Brandless - No Brand or domain name needed

[offthehandle]

https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/11/brandless/

Non-labeled products certainly don't need a domain name- could be interesting future for more products to become commodities to be as equal as gasoline across all sorts of vertical markets. If you think about it, what difference other than perception is there in so many products? Perception being more important than reality obviously is why there are brands in the first place for the past 100 years and so many commodity products are simply existing from image advertising and the result of lot's of $$$ and hype.

Marketing hype NOW drives the market but who knows the future. Something like this could occur across many verticals with the direct sales of Business to Consumer (B2C) via the net. No stock, plain labels, no stores, no distribution, no middlemen, no employees, all automated machines and robots filling up boxes, bottles and containers. Everybody who loves Amazon now, might find this business model even better.

Interesting article- and who knows maybe a new trend that might catch on. Good to see someone going after the grocery business in a different way than Amazon is reselling what already is produced. Not sure who remembers the grocery chain stores way back that started all white labels and a blue stripe labeled as "Generic".

 

[Eric Lyon]

Interesting, however, once I weeded through the pitch/hype I realize it was an online version of a $1 store with a price tag boost for convenience factors.

Still an interesting model though.

I used to laugh seeing people buy $1 store items for $5 on eBay for the same shipping convenience.

 

[Eric Lyon]

Added note: Think about it... More and more people are either wanting to go out less, have a disability that limits going out, or are in high gear staying busy all day. If a high gear can find a way to eliminate shopping times, that's even more time in a day to be productive.

The future is definitely moving towards a boom in that industry.

That's my prediction anyways.

 

[Eric Lyon]

I wonder how the FDA will handle a food boom online like that though. Or how to identify an FDA approved online food distribution center when it reaches the point they have to step in and regulate.

 

[offthehandle]

Yes, looking at Amazon when people talk about it not about product sales- its more about instant delivery, selection and convenience. Their Brand Trust and immediacy of purchase is sure amazing.

I am generally thinking really since reading the article meant a new potential real "disruption". Across consumer items, consumables especially. The "general store" sort of selection. This startup has some decent cash, but certainly not enough to be all things to all people. Amazon as we know has completely broken down the retail barrier so consumers have adjusted in the "direct to consumer" via internet ordering. Next will be groceries, and soon "try'em on at home" ordering 12 pairs of shoes and return 8 of them mentality like Costco's liberal return policies. So the no-label or private label with mass produced consumer goods is the future. More items will polarize and move either to commodity or to boutique. I think all of this sucks for small businesses and retail malls, but being specialized and niche or boutique will be the only segment left. I have a friend whose wife makes a living fixing dresses bought online, whose size and fit were guessed incorrectly by customers. They can't or won't return them. More revenue fixing purchase mistakes than dress sales.

 

[offthehandle]

If companies do it correctly, then no FDA required. Self policing does work until you get all the rush of copy cats with inferior or lessor grade product. Those who cut costs and mess it up for the rest. Coop's work well, it works with milk and coffee, etc in Latin America. Then there are farmer direct markets all year long. There isnt a lot of bureaucracy. The main quality problem they have are chinese dumping low grade or shoddy products there, that won't sell in the USA. When no UL approval things burn up. Stainless steel rusts, etc. So regulation isn't existing, then the consumer suffers. It's a balance.

 

[platey]

Added note: Think about it... More and more people are either wanting to go out less, have a disability that limits going out, or are in high gear staying busy all day. If a high gear can find a way to eliminate shopping times, that's even more time in a day to be productive.

The future is definitely moving towards a boom in that industry.

That's my prediction anyways.

The grocery delivery concept hasn't started to get good - many will attempt it but the real billions in grocery will be made from a person owning nothing more than a website that wouldn't own a single item of grocery but be able to deliver your grocery to you in 15 mins and its very possible and if such a website enabled a person to buy grocery from neighbors etc it could mean a person could buy or share or swap an item of grocery in under 5 mins

Amazon couldn't get close to that as no drones would be needed

No brand needed either