Some of the best learning happens when you read stories about real people and real companies. Read them for ideas, for lessons, and inspiration. This week’s stories and strategies from real life are about Amazon, Apple, Best Buy, Opendoor, Wayfair, and Miami Fishing Supply

From Laura Stevens and Khadeeja Safdar: Amazon Working on Several Grocery-Store Formats, Could Open More Than 2,000 Locations

“Amazon.com Inc. unveiled Monday its first small-format grocery store, Amazon Go, one of at least three brick-and-mortar formats the online retail giant is exploring as it makes a play for an area of shopping that remains stubbornly in-store. Two of the other store formats Amazon is considering are bigger than the convenience-style Go store, according to people familiar with the matter. In November, Amazon’s technology team approved a proposal to open large, multifunction stores with curbside pickup capability, clearing the way to start hiring and planning, according to one of the people.”

From Jason Friend: Best Buy vs. The Apple Store

“I was captivated when Apple opened its first set of physical retail stores in 2001. I’ve never owned a retail business, but I worked a variety of retail jobs growing up. What Apple did with retail was different.”

From Ben Thompson: Opendoor: A Startup Worth Emulating

“I suppose I appreciate the efficiency with which Techcrunch expressed its skepticism for tech’s latest unicorn, Opendoor; it’s right there in the headline: Online real estate service Opendoor raises $210M Series D despite risky financing model. And, to be fair, Opendoor’s approach is risky.”

From Thales Teixeira: How Wayfair Built a Furniture Brand from Scratch

“Wayfair has been around since the early days of ecommerce. But what now exists as a single, popular brand was once an unaffiliated collection of 240 websites selling very different things. Professor Thales Teixeira discusses the rise of internet sales and search engine marketing, and delves into the minds of the company’s executives as they built an online furniture giant from scratch.”

From Joseph Mann: Serving blue-water fishermen and weekend anglers

“Miami Fishing Supply is a small business that provides a full range of fishing gear and accessories to fishermen for blue-water offshore fishing and international tournaments, as well as for occasional anglers.”