Bionic Brick and Mortar: The Future of Main Street

The other day I was walking along a quaint Main Street when I was swiftly struck dumb. All the shops lining the street, from bars and restaurants to barbershops and professional services, could be doing so much more with available technology. And not just in theory either. There are already scores of examples of companies with very standard offerings (think sandwiches and coffee) that are changing the Main Street customer experience by investing in technology.So why aren’t all of these businesses doing the same thing?Walking along that street, I started imagining it differently. I saw all of the shops not as struggling brick and mortar operations, but as potential “hybrids” so to speak. Ones that blur the line between an offline store and a tech company. And if these small businesses need an example to follow, there are two leaders already paving the way: Starbucks and Panera Bread Company. 

I’ll start with Panera, because frankly, the story they have to tell about tech…