I’ve been an intermittent subscriber to Fast Company magazine since 2000. I recently started subscribing again ($5 for the entire year–remember my value called "If you can get it for less, it’s good?")

In the June issue, two separate articles pointed to how technology has changed the meaning of "in-stock" for retailers. One article profiles the Portland, Oregon activewear company, Nau.  They happen to have a store in Boulder, one of only a handful across the country. If you go to the store and want to buy something, the sales clerk will entice you to have it shipped to you, free of charge, with a 10% discount to boot.  This allows for smaller stores and lower overhead.

In the second article about vending machines, the magazine identifies MOD Systems with a kiosk that  "lets customers burn music and movies while they wait, turning any size retailer into a superstore."

It used to be that delivery systems and trust were intertwined.  I’ll pay you when I can see the product. With technology, we’re now trusting that we’ll get what we pay for it, even if we can’t touch it, feel it, see it. eBay and Amazon are great examples.

My 14-year old son recently bought a video game for a friend’s birthday. His gift consisted of a serial number to access the download.  Somehow, this left me a bit cold. This younger generation doesn’t seem to mind.

What will in-stock look like in 20 years?  Something I can’t imagine now. That’s for sure.