Speaking of Competition/Partners ...

You probably saw this a few weeks back, right? (click here).

Sure, the buzzword "omnichannel" is thrown into the article for good measure, but the acquisitions have nothing to do with being omnichannel and have everything to do with having Partners possessing adjacent merchandise.

Did you know that 80% of my income in the past quarter was from companies looking to form Partnerships with Competitors? I'm really busy analyzing how customers respond to merchandise offerings. Folks are looking to figure out how to build a database of customers with adjacent merchandise interests. Professionals are taking charge of the Competition/Partnership agenda - not allowing Google/Facebook or Malls or Catalog Co-Ops to determine their future.

And make no mistake - over the next five years Google/Facebook are going to sort through the rubble and they're going to pick the next generation of e-commerce winners.

Have a plan for how you will move into the future - pick your Partners carefully!