Capt. Mondo's World o' Mondo-ness

Dumb Design
Just checked out Ebox, which is ostensibly a competitor to Empori, except in this case they promise to deliver the goods you order to your home, in a funky little Ebox box.

I was wondering why I couldn't access the Ebox site in Internet Explorer (which is my default browser), since all I got were "Page Could Not Be Displayed" error. Most people would think this to be a regular 404-type error, but recognizing the difference between the two, I tried launching the same URL in Netscape Navigator instead. Bingo.

So why didn't it appear in my copy of IE? Because it turns out that you are taken immediately to a secure server on their site (check out the https:// you land at), and the rather minimal security setting I have set on my copy of IE (set to "medium" with some minor custom settings of my own thrown in) prevent me viewing the site directly. LOL!

I imagine most home users will probably be able to access the site, but I wonder how many people from work won't be able to access the site given the security measures their sysadmin staff would have set on their copies of IE (and consequently won't think of proceeding further). Most sites I've seen that require secure access will at least inform you about it beforehand, and Ebox is the first I have seen that incorporates it on their main page.

End of a (Geek) Era
My favourite online store/utility, Empori.com, announced yesterday that they will no longer be selling goods to consumers anymore, and are effectively shutting their doors as of Friday. For the record, here's the email I got from them yesterday:

Dear Valued EMPORI.COM Customer

We regret to advise you that EMPORI.COM Business to Consumer (B2C) delivery depots will cease operation on Friday July 20, 2001. The continued growth and expansion of EMPORI.COM B2C required a strategic investment partner. In this economic climate we were unable to close an agreement with a partner in a timely fashion.

Wednesday, July 18, 2001 will be the last day we accept new orders. The depots, Customer Service and head office will be closing Friday July 20, 2001.

If you have an order in the system that will not be delivered by Friday July 20, 2001 we will contact you by phone to arrange an alternative shipping address and in turn notify the E-tailer. If we are unsuccessful in contacting you by phone we will provide you with the number for customer service for the specific E-tailer to arrange a new shipping address directly.

If you have any questions please contact us at questions@empori.com or call us at 1-877-536-7674 before 12 noon, Friday July 20, 2001.

Thank you for being part of the world’s first online purchase self-service delivery system and thank you for your business.

Regards,
David Bowden
Managing Director, EMPORI.COM

I always liked ordering from them, since I could reliably place an order with Chapters.ca or with HMV.com and get it delivered to their depot based at the Royal Bank Tower downtown, which was easy for me to pick up in the evening as I returned from the office in Oakville. I also liked the extra treats -- usually a cookie or a gift certificate -- they put into the bag along with the rest of the order.

However, almost from the start it seemed like it was a wee bit too technically-minded to succeed -- only a true geek would have the patience to make his/her way through the convoluted registration process (primarily due to the use of Microsoft's Passport system, in my opinion). I know one of the people responsible for designing their Web site, and he told me their insistence on including this feature was a major headache for him -- and having used it, I can say it must have been an equal headache for users. Over the past couple of months they've been running a number of increasingly-desperate sounding contests in a drive to drive more people to their services.

But the continual lack of users was telling: whenever I picked up something, I was usually the only person there, other than the obligatory sole Empori.com employee there as an aide for others. They also choose sizable and prime downtown locations, which must have added a lot to their burn rate. I also wonder if they had the right idea to place their depots in locations where a lot of the goods could be purchased from a store-front location. For example, the one I typically frequented was within easy walking distance of a bookstore, an HMV, a liquor store and several grocery stores -- which means that the only thing they were selling to somebody like me was the convenience of having my order sent to a central place for me to pick up. How much more sense would it have made to have their depots located a satellite spots dotted at the ends of the city, like Kipling and Kennedy subway stations, or small depots located along the GO Train line (like Oakville for example. ;-) A much smaller operation using only a fraction of the post-office boxes they used for their operation and in downtown spaces where the rents would not have been so exorbitant would have made for a much more sensible approach, but then hindsight is always 20/20.

In my mind, the closing of Empori.com is only the most visible sign of the general downtown in the .com businesses + geek-related industries. I will miss this service. Think maybe I'll place a last order with Chapters.ca for old time's sake...