The recession is accelerating a revolution in retail. Cloned beyond character, the high street is facing a miserable future as customers migrate online in their millions in search of the convenience, choice and value provided by the web.
PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that online shopping in the UK will grow from £20bn today to £50bn in 2012, accounting for nearly half of all retail transactions. Offline sales continues to fall; business analyst Experian estimates that one in six stores will be standing vacant by the end of the year.
Tellingly, high street stalwart Marks & Spencer revealed its online sales were up 29 per cent in the final quarter of 2008 despite one of its worst Christmas trading periods when store sales were down 7.1 per cent.
There's no going back. Entire industries, including music, fashion, and publishing have had to remodel to cater for consumers who now favour online purchasing.
But what has this got to do with museums? While our sector has enthusiastically colonised the internet with varying degrees of success, few institutions - large or small - have grasped the true potential of e-commerce to help generate income in a challenging financial environment.
A snapshot of the Renaissance hubs reveals less than a third have online shops. And too many museum websites have been developed without any clear audience in mind, built on the me-too principle, with limited insight into the desires of the new online consumer.
The issue no longer lies with the raw materials: offline culture-led stores and products are coming of age. The MoMA design store recently arrived in Tokyo. Closer to home, the new Southbank Centre store was acclaimed by Time Out as one of the top 100 shops in the capital and Wallpaper* magazine has raved about the London Transport Museum's new furniture range inspired by the London underground.
Outside the capital, the Jackfield Tile Museum (part of Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire) has stunning products inspired by its collection of tile designs and finds its market through Fired Earth stores. The Baltic and the Lighthouse blend brand, product and content perfectly.
If product is improving, the industry bible, Superbrands, has also confirmed the rude health of culture brands among consumers seeking authentic, high quality, ethical and home-grown items. (Tate ranked above Manchester United and even Vodafone).
The problems arise with the online execution of museums' retailing. The internet has unleashed a new economic reality where the traditional demand curve is now dominated by the niche, rather than the blockbuster, hit. This should be fertile ground for the entrepreneurial museum.
Peter Tullin is the director of online retailer CultureLabel.com
PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that online shopping in the UK will grow from £20bn today to £50bn in 2012, accounting for nearly half of all retail transactions. Offline sales continues to fall; business analyst Experian estimates that one in six stores will be standing vacant by the end of the year.
Tellingly, high street stalwart Marks & Spencer revealed its online sales were up 29 per cent in the final quarter of 2008 despite one of its worst Christmas trading periods when store sales were down 7.1 per cent.
There's no going back. Entire industries, including music, fashion, and publishing have had to remodel to cater for consumers who now favour online purchasing.
But what has this got to do with museums? While our sector has enthusiastically colonised the internet with varying degrees of success, few institutions - large or small - have grasped the true potential of e-commerce to help generate income in a challenging financial environment.
A snapshot of the Renaissance hubs reveals less than a third have online shops. And too many museum websites have been developed without any clear audience in mind, built on the me-too principle, with limited insight into the desires of the new online consumer.
The issue no longer lies with the raw materials: offline culture-led stores and products are coming of age. The MoMA design store recently arrived in Tokyo. Closer to home, the new Southbank Centre store was acclaimed by Time Out as one of the top 100 shops in the capital and Wallpaper* magazine has raved about the London Transport Museum's new furniture range inspired by the London underground.
Outside the capital, the Jackfield Tile Museum (part of Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire) has stunning products inspired by its collection of tile designs and finds its market through Fired Earth stores. The Baltic and the Lighthouse blend brand, product and content perfectly.
If product is improving, the industry bible, Superbrands, has also confirmed the rude health of culture brands among consumers seeking authentic, high quality, ethical and home-grown items. (Tate ranked above Manchester United and even Vodafone).
The problems arise with the online execution of museums' retailing. The internet has unleashed a new economic reality where the traditional demand curve is now dominated by the niche, rather than the blockbuster, hit. This should be fertile ground for the entrepreneurial museum.
Peter Tullin is the director of online retailer CultureLabel.com
Links
www.CultureLabel.com
www.CultureLabel.com
