How did Zappos test their concept?

Zappos initially tested their concept by taking a highly pragmatic and low-cost approach. According to Tony Hsieh, in order to verify that customers were willing to buy shoes online, Nick Swinburne would go to local shoe stores, photograph the shoes, and then list them on the Zappos website. When a customer made a purchase, Nick would return to the store, buy the shoe, and ship it to the customer. This meant they weren't making money from these sales, but it was a cost-effective way to test actual demand without a significant upfront investment in inventory 1 2.