The Four

(Axel Boer) #1

The short answer is no. There is a rebel force of innovative retailers
out there who are fighting the empire: Sephora, Home Depot, and Best
Buy, to name a few. These firms are zigging as Amazon zags and
investing in people—beauty associates, blue shirts, geek squads, and
gold canvas aprons. They couple this investment in human capital
with a deft investment in technology. Consumers no longer go to
stores for products, which are easier to get from Amazon. They go to
stores for people/experts.
Will their strategy—or Amazon’s—eventually emerge victorious?
Or will they somehow accommodate each other and carve out a
separate peace? The answer will not only decide the fate of companies,
but millions of workers and households as well. What’s clear is that we
need business leaders who envision, and enact, a future with more
jobs—not billionaires who want the government to fund, with taxes
they avoid, social programs for people to sit on their couches and
watch Netflix all day. Jeff, show some real fucking vision.

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