There’s a new entry in the “Mayonnaise to Tuna” file and it’s called WorldStreet. From its Web site:

A consumer products’ commercial complex anchored by an indoor “global direct marketplace” A consumer and tourist “destination.”

300+ showrooms and stores owned and operated by American and International exporters, boutique retailers, importers & wholesalers, manufacturers’ direct product showrooms and themed pavilions with product clusters and country-branding.

Including multiple restaurants, cafes, live theatre, “edutainment” attractions and ongoing special events and festivals.

Including:
• Flex-showroom and inventory replenishment facilities
• Integrated business support and logistics service providers
• Wireless telecommunications, E-commerce and T-commerce

Just in case you’re not quite sure exactly what that means, both your retailer and consumer customers will be able to head on over to WorldStreet and buy “your” products directly from “your” Chinese (or Indian, or Thai, or…) suppliers. WorldStreet will be located in Celebrate Virginia, in the southern corridor of metropolitan Washington, DC. Celebrate Virginia, by the way, bills itself as “North America’s Largest Retail Resort.” There are more trends coming together here than you can shake a stick at - direct sourcing, retail destination sites, the Green movement (there’s an Eco-Adventure Resort), active Boomers (there’s an active adult community), and the planned community/planned village trend. If you thought the direct sourcing battle was only fought on two fronts (supplier and customer), you’ll have to think again. With developers joining in, a frontal assault looks less and less likely to be effective. It’s time to figure out what you really do and probe for weakness. Is design your strength? Perhaps logistics, or customer service? Whatever it is, you’ll need to strengthen it and stop holding out hope that your vendors won’t sell your customers directly.

(Via NewMarketBuilders)