Content Guy's Note: The goal of "The Innovation Conversation" is to explore some facet of the fast-changing, technology-driven retail landscape and how it affects businesses and consumers. It is, we think, fertile territory ... and one that Tom Furphy - a former Amazon executive, the originator of Amazon Fresh, and currently CEO and Managing Director of Consumer Equity Partners (CEP), a venture capital and venture development firm in Seattle, WA, that works with many top retailers and manufacturers - is uniquely positioned to address.
Tom and Kevin this morning look at the second coming of Webvan. That's right - Louis Borders, whose early-days attempt to build an e-grocery model collapsed two decades ago having burned through some $800 million in investment capital, is back with a new venture called Home Delivery Service (HDS). Well, not exactly "back" - having already raised $30 million, Borders is trying to raise another $25 million to start building his first facility. Tom and Kevin examine Borders' value proposition to see if there is anything innovative there … and unearth lessons that should be learned by every retailer in the space.
