Many distributors looking for ways to fend off disruption (read Amazon) are considering how to repurpose legacy brick-and-mortar facilities, according to NAW – the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors. Some concepts include a food service equipment distributor building out a fully functional restaurant and dining facility, or a plumbing wholesaler assembling a digitally enabled working system of pipes, heaters, sinks and appliances. These operations, once active, can host a variety of events including hands-on training, talks by trendsetters and subject matter experts, customer forums to discuss needs and solutions, off-campus training for local colleges, tours for grade school students, banquets and barbeques, and more.

Underlying these facilities and events is the idea that distributors can create something that online disruptors like Amazon cannot – real-world, hands-on experiences facilitated by actual people. Distributors be known as “The Experience Store.”