Why social ON-LINE trumps social IN-LINE

This morning I was getting my early morning coffee at my local coffee shop (to remain un-named). Usually when I am in there, there is no one except the barrista and myself, but this morning there was another customer, a very chatty customer. I thought, how nice, the two of them were talking and talking and talking. And I was waiting and waiting and waiting.

I thought – wow – at a busy time of day there could have been more customers in front of me. And if the customers and barrista would have been chatty, that would have irritated me more.

But ONLINE – everyone is ON LINE, they aren’t waiting IN LINE, so they aren’t waiting IN LINE.

This is where social online can beat social FTF. It might not be there yet, but with fulfillment getting faster and faster (same day in some cases) the online social advantage is going to “trump” the buy this second. Its not there yet, but I’d say when fullfillment can be made in less than 4 hours that will be the tipping point. My guess at 4 hours has to do with how long it would take to travel back and forth and shop.

Its all about the wait.

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