Shelf space and geography

The supply chain did not begin with Chris Anderson’s book The Long Tail. He makes this point when he remarks“the Web unified the elements of a supply-chain revolution that had been brewing for decades.” (page 41) The ears Roebuck catalog (the Wish Book) gave a glimpse into the land beyond shelf-space. Only later did the company start brick and mortar stores. He writes, “City shoppers preferred stores to catalogs.” (44) Technology was in the past and continues to be an engine of the “long tail.” When AT&T established the Wide Area Telephone Service (WATS) the 1-800 number the customer has an opportunity for access to the supply chain. Any customer can be in touch with the company in without paying a toll charge. Another step came with Jeff Bezos and the creation of Amazon.com.

The theory: “Our culture and economy are increasingly shifting away from a focus on a relatively small number of his (mainstream products and markets) at the head of the demand curve, and moving toward a huge number of niches in the tail. … The Long Tail starts with a million niches, but it isn’t meaningful until those niches are populated with people who want them.” (52)

But geography is still there for many seminaries. How does a seminary blossom in a small town such as Richmond?