It looks like he wants the old days, where salespeople in shops new everything about a product. They new the customer by name, because they had been coming there since they were young. And there were only 5 fridge types anyway.
Unlike the present, were you walk into a computer shop and the seller doesn't even know the difference between dual core and dual processor.
It's not opinions that Rands or other consumers are looking for. What consumers are looking for is a story to tell. It's the story you tell to a friend about the new desk. Or, the ability to explain to a coworker about why this new shaving cream works way better than the old one. It's stories that people are buying and it's a story that Rands really wants.
A moment in a store with a salesman does not make the sale. It's the countless times he will get to tell the story that is valuable.
The cheap IKEA furniture is cheap, simple, well designed and functional. But almost everyone knows that story. The story of IKEA furniture is always how inexpensive it was. Not a great story and definitely not unique. A vintage desk or a high end pair of speakers however has a whole beautiful story behind it to tell. The rare wood, the kevlar drivers, the quality, the craftsmanship.
Ever ask anyone about where they got a cool vintage T-shirt they were wearing? You will usually get two stories. Either "I got it at a thrift store" which is boring. Or, hopefully you will get something like, "This? I got this Huey Lewis and the News shirt at my very first concert ever. It was 85 and my dad took me..." . They are both wearing the same shirt. The only difference is the story.
Unlike the present, were you walk into a computer shop and the seller doesn't even know the difference between dual core and dual processor.
Those days are gone.