There’s no question Amazon is pushing the bounds in retailing with what seems to be moon-shots every other quarter. However, traditional retailers need to remember that Amazon generates an enormous amount of its profit from its web services business and therefore can make investments and experiment in ways that most retailers simply cannot — Amazon Go is a good example. My advice to retailers is to focus on their customers and the unique value proposition they bring to the market. It’s sensible to monitor Amazon’s activities (as well as those from other leading retailers and brands that are doing interesting things), but don’t get too carried away trying to replicate or beat Amazon — they’re playing an entirely different game.

Retailers should focus on what their customers – and those customers they wish to attract – want. Therein lies the path to success.

The overriding lesson that Amazon teaches that we forget from time to time is that retail is always changing, and we must keep adapting. To me, that’s the only thing that you really emulate from Amazon. After that, Mark and Art are right — follow your customer. Be laser-focused on what they want, what they need and be sure to know why you’re in business. After that, “copy,” “emulate” and “differentiate” are all just implementation terms for making your customer happy.

The answer is “yes and no.” Yes, you should learn what Amazon is doing. Take away the competitiveness and, if they are doing something to create a better CX, then it may be worth adopting and adapting. However, if you want to go head-to-head with Amazon in many other areas, you may not win. There are many ways to compete against Amazon (and any other major competitor) and thrive. You have to find your place — your uniqueness — and exploit it. The customer must know what your difference is, and it should be something that the customer wants. Several areas of opportunity include the people-to-people interaction, being local, contributing to and be more involved with community charities, and many more.

Amazon may have an amazing online/digital experience. A local retailer may have an amazing in-store experience. There is room for both in this world.

I think “they’re both right” is the right answer to the question. You have to meet the minimum bar of customer expectations and, like it or not, Amazon is the one setting that bar right now. So in that sense, you can’t ignore them. But you can’t win by just emulating them, either. Amazon’s retail operations don’t have to turn a profit, and you do. That means if all you do is try to copy fast, you’ll run out of money sooner than later. Retailers need to find ways to do things that Amazon may never do well, for example, provide excellent customer service. The hard part about that is doing that in a way where customers are willing to pay a premium for it.

Few retailers outside of giants like Walmart are prepared to match Amazon when it comes to breadth of assortment and competitive pricing. In fact, trying to follow Amazon’s lead in areas outside of a store’s core strengths could be a trap.

But there is one overriding competitive advantage of Amazon that every retailer can learn from: Its delivery of a convenience strategy that underlies much of its consumer trust. Not every store can master Amazon’s logistical network or data science, but most stores can “execute” better than they are doing today.

It’s impossible to be completely the same or completely different. Some aspects of being a merchant are universal. However, copying Amazon, Walmart, or the corner store is absolutely a weak strategy which will ultimately lead to mediocrity or failure. Being a follower is being a follower, never gaining an advantage, just trying to keep up. That means every time the leader zigs, the follower has to zig, Same for zags.

And a leader with resources that catches on to that can make life hellish if they choose to. Look back to Walmart in the ’90s and ask Marc Lore about the ultimatum Quidsy received from Amazon.

Imagine a high school commencement speech where the honored speaker implores the students to go out into the world and be followers. It wouldn’t be acceptable.

There is always room to lead if you look for the opportunity.

A wildcard here is the go-forward e-commerce plans of brands. Do they want to have 30 percent to 40 percent or more of their volume going through one company? They didn’t with Walmart and aren’t likely to want to be bound to Amazon. We heard some interesting strategies from several leading brands at Shoptalk last week and while the brands aren’t burning their bridges with Amazon they are looking for other channels so they can keep Amazon honest.

I think this is the wrong question to ask. Either way you’re playing defense and trying to be like or not like the competition. Focusing on the shopper and how to serve them will always yield better returns. That said, Amazon and other competition may have great ideas for retailers to add into their customer experience. As long as it’s adding value to the consumer and not purely a competition play there is much to be learned from each other.

At the very least, all retailers should emulate Amazon’s passion for using data to drive all dimensions of their business. The latest advancements make excuses such as a lack of data science skills and expensive technology much less legitimate than in the past. The challenge now is instead prioritizing use cases and focusing on what you can do best and most uniquely for your customers in a manner Amazon can’t match. Too much of retail middle management is in the dark about their company’s analytic strategy, if one even exists. This would make a great followup RetailWire discussion.

The answer is both! While many retailers think of Amazon as the enemy, they do many things very well that are worth emulating: personalized online experiences, efficient delivery times, reasonable or free shipping costs (for preferred members), and easy checkout processes.

Retailers looking to differentiate from Amazon should focus on the benefits of their physical stores and store associates. Many consumers appreciate the theater of shopping and retailers that offer special events and unique, interactive shopping experiences can increase customer loyalty and compete with Amazon. Amazon is not invincible. Personalized experiences and services are the keys to beating Amazon.

Amazon has reset the expectations of consumers in online commerce, just like Walmart did for in-store prices and assortment years ago. I don’t think any existing retailer should try to outplay Amazon at its own game given it has deep pockets from its IT service provider business. Learn and take the best practices that you can affordably implement and look for differentiation in product and service offerings, that’s the only way to win in retail these days.