“It’s easy to forget how transformative the company was exactly 100 years ago, when it, too, was capitalizing on a mail-to-consumer business to establish a physical retail presence.” From The Atlantic’s always interesting Derek Thompson: To understand Amazon — its evolution, its strategy, and perhaps its future — look to Sears.

+ “A number of successful online retailers are becoming increasingly focused on the physical world, for a number of reasons.” HBR: Toys R Us Might Be Dying, but Physical Retail Isn’t.