The notion of the ‘Infinite Shelf’ is long associated with the rise of e-commerce, and the Amazon platform in particular. At a time when retail opportunity was literally constricted by shelf space in stores, large brands’ domination became a powerful competitive advantage.
The reason was simple. However intriguing the innovation a niche upstart offered, for a retailer to buy into it took a leap of faith. In the world of FMCG, the consequence of this has been the evolution of bloated super-brands dominating categories, despite innovation being marginal or, at best, sporadic. Physical limitations put a stranglehold on category dynamics...