"When a customer enters my store, forget me. He is king", claimed John Wanamaker, who in 1876 turned an abandoned railway store

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问题     "When a customer enters my store, forget me. He is king", claimed John Wanamaker, who in 1876 turned an abandoned railway store in Philadelphia into one of the world’s first department stores. This revolutionary concept changed the face of retailing and led to the development of advertising and marketing as we know it today.
    But compelling as that slogan was, in truth the shopper was cheated of the crown. Although manufacturing efficiency boosted the variety of goods and lowered prices, advertising provided most information about products. Through much of the past century, ads spoke to a captive audience confined to just a few radio or television channels or a limited number of publications. Now media choice has exploded too, and consumers select what they want from a far greater variety of sources-- especially with a few clicks of a computer mouse. Thanks to the internet, the consumer is finally seizing power.
    As our survey in this issue shows, consumer power has profound implications for companies, because it is changing the way the world shops. Many firms already claim to be "customer-driven or consumer-centric". Now their claims will be tested as never before. Trading on shoppers’ ignorance will no longer be possible: people will know-- and soon tell others, even those without the internet-- that prices in the next town are cheaper or that certain goods are inferior. The internet is working wonders in raising standards. Good and honest firms should benefit most.
    But it is also intensifying competition. Today, window shopping takes place online. People can compare products, prices and reputations. They can read what companies say about products in far greater detail, but also how that matches up with the opinions of others, and-- most importantly of all-- discover what previous buyers have to say. News, groups and websites constantly review products and services.
    This is changing the nature of consumer decisions. Until recently, consumers usually learned about a product and made their choice at the same time. People would often visit a department store or dealership to seek advice from a salesman, look at his recommendations and then buy. Now, for many, each of these steps is separate. For instance, Ford is finding that eight out of ten of its customers have already used the internet to decide what car they want to buy-- and what they are willing to pay-- even before they arrive at a showroom. When that happens consumers will truly be kings, and only those firms ready and able to serve these new monarchs will survive.
What is the main idea of the passage?

选项 A、With the help of internet, customers have really become kings now.
B、Only those firms reedy to serve customers like kings will survive.
C、More media choices are available to customers.
D、Firms can no longer cheat customers now.

答案A

解析 本题问“短文的主旨是什么”。从文中末段主题句"... When that happens consumers will truly be kings,and only those firms ready and able to serve these new monarchs will survive."(当消费者有效利用因特网了解商品的时代到来时,消费者才真正成为了国王),可知[A]“借助于因特网,消费者现在成为了真正的国王”正确。
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