In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a retail chain called Consumers Distributing (founded in Canada, with a similar model appearing as Argos in the UK) pioneered a hybrid shopping experience. Customers would browse a catalog, fill out a slip, wait in line, then watch as employees fetched products from a hidden back room. The model promised lower prices by eliminating traditional showroom floors and reducing theft. For a time, it was revolutionary: efficiency before Amazon, self-service before the internet.
We face a fork in the road. One path leads to platform dependence : consumers as unpaid last-mile labor for giant corporations, absorbing delivery costs and risks. The other path—seen in mutual aid networks, repair cafes, and local food co-ops—points toward democratic distribution , where communities own and operate their own logistics. consumers distributing
But by the mid-1990s, the model collapsed. Big-box stores like Walmart and Costco offered lower prices without the wait, and e-commerce was beginning to whisper its promise of "infinite aisle, delivered to your door." In the late 1970s and early 1980s, a
In an age of supply chain fragility and climate urgency, the most radical act might be to take distribution back into our own hands—not as exploited gig workers, but as organized communities. The catalog has been replaced by a group chat. The warehouse is your neighbor's garage. And the checkout line? There isn't one. For a time, it was revolutionary: efficiency before
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