XPost: rec.arts.sf.written, rec.arts.sf.science   
   From: YourName@YourISP.com   
      
   J. Clarke wrote:   
   > In article , gossg@gossg.org says...   
   > > Doc O'Leary  wrote:   
   > > >In article ,   
   > > > Bernard Peek  wrote:   
   > > >   
   > > >> There's a different shortcoming in the system for me. I always check the   
   > > >> shelf of stuff that's going out of date today. It's often got stuff that   
   > > >> I wouldn't pay full price for.   
   > > >   
   > > >No reason that couldn't be the MO of online shopping as well.  The main   
   > > >problem you might face is that, by improving the supply chain, you may   
   > > >find there is less and less inventory that winds up expiring.  But if   
   > > >the efficiencies allow prices to be kept down overall, you'll probably   
   > > >still save more than digging through the bargain bin.   
   > >   
   > > If you drive down the costs of the supply chain, then you might just   
   > > raise the profit margins.   
   > >   
   > > The sign outside the WalMart warehouse near where I live says "Supply   
   > > Chain Management Inc" indicating how important one company takes   
   > > managing the supply chain.   
   >   
   > But will a podcrawler going through the neighborhood every 10 minutes   
   > actually reduce the costs?  The Postal Service only does one a day and   
   > they're going broke.   
      
   It's pretty difficult to fit a bag of potatoes inside a standard   
   envelope though.  ;-)   
      
   New Zealand Post, like most others, is also having problems and is now   
   planning to drop mail delivery from daily (except Sundays) down to   
   every-second-day, which of course will only hasten their downfall. Soon   
   the local postman will be one of those jobs assigned to the history   
   books.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)