I wear a lot of brown. (Not tan, not beige--real chocolate brown.) Good luck finding that locally--except J Jill, occasionally.
Why don't brick and mortar stores find a non-invasive way to ASK people what they want when they shop. They seem to spend a ton of money on super fancy technology trying to guess. Why don't they just ask people.
5
Inventory, inventory, inventory. Nordstrom does not keep sizes in stock in Skokie, IL. LL Bean the same. Need selection in order to whip out credit card. Online has stock and selection.
Also non helpful, aggressive sales mavens make the shopping experience no good. I feel like a mark.
4
Bricks-and-mortar retailers suffer from a disconnect between their product people (buyers, designers and product-development folks) and the target customer. This is manifest in myriad ways, including a proclivity to stock stores with too-many small sizes and what I can only describe as weird fashion. Amazon, on the other hand, is falling down as to the efficacy of last-mile delivery. Translation: you or may not get your on the promised date. Amazon struggled with two-day delivery and, now getting way over the tips of its skis, it's pomising one-day delivery on more items.
3
This is only the beginning. In the not too distant future, 3D-printers will create the materials that robots assemble and drones deliver. and then there is the Virtual reality aspect, where the simulation will be so real that you won't need physical goods and tele-presence will reduce transportation requirements. In the near term, electric cars will eliminate the local auto mechanic and self-driving vehicles, when they arrive, eliminate both the car insurance industry and the collision shops. Right now, there are soft-touch robot hands that will enable robots to do farmwork, and assemble the rest of the auto. The times are changing faster and faster. (Imagine a time when most diseases are cured, instead of managed. Few hospital stays, fewer doctors and nurses)
1
I see "buy local" a lot, but for most people that means Best Buy, H&M, Target, Walmart etc. These companies aren't any more "local" than the local Amazon warehouse. They buy from the same international suppliers, sell the same stuff for generally the same prices.
So if you want the support of a brick and mortar retailer, great, but if you don't, how exactly is buying from Walmart morally superior to buying from Amazon?
It's silly to apply morality to people's shopping preferences. People are ultimately going to shop in ways that work for them individually. Why do NYT readers have to wring their hands and feel guilty about everything?
7
What is Amazon's real goal ? To become a single Borg-like entity that provides us with virtually everything every day ? (Lord save us from the drones.) Jeff Bezos' net worth is already the equivalent of the GDP of Hungary. We know that the company's employment record is abysmal, with the ambulances waiting outside un-airconditioned warehouses. It has happened so fast that no one seems to have time to reflect on how we have capitulated to the gods of convenience and instant gratification. I don't see how it can end well.
5
Generalist retailers can survive in the Amazon world the same way that local hardware stores at first survived and then thrived by hiring better informed people and providing quality service. I can go to a hardware store and get a licensed plumber's advice on my problem or I can go to a big box store and struggle to find a clerk with pink hair who doesn't know an electrical switch from a plumbing valve and moreover, does not even know what part of the store I should look in. This has driven the big box DIY stores to sell limited varieties of most-demanded products for which the chain has forced suppliers to make cheaper versions of products.
1
Retail has shot itself in the foot by stocking fewer and fewer items - even basic things. I can no longer buy my favorite shampoo or pancake mix locally, I have to order them online (not necessarily from Amazon).
The other day I needed an outfit for a gala. But no local stores here, e.g. Kohl's, stock anything like that any more - you have to order from their web site and wait for it to be delivered, so you can't try anything on.
Home Depot and Best Buy have dropped more and more items from their stores: you have to order them online and when delivered to the store, wait til their small overworked staff gets around to serving you, and remembering where they put it.
Some things are more convenient to do online: shopping is not necessarily one of them.
3
Stop buying stuff that is not necessary. I looked at that photo of an Amazon warehouse and just about threw up, thinking of the impact on the planet.
8
A majority of what is sold in malls is fad driven, unnecessary for a sustainable existence, a waste of money, and likely made of plastic that ends up in a landfill or ocean gyre. . I’m happy to see them close.
4
I began as most do using Amazon to buy books, but now I use them for some many things. I can feel guilty, but the convenience is amazing. Thanksgiving is coming and for some reason all my dinner forks have disappeared. I could have gotten in my car, fought mall traffic, and spent two hours and had to pay for parking, been impulsive about buying some other amazing gadget that I don't need and bought forks plus. Instead I only ordered forks and the very next day they were on my doorstep. Then I heard about the poor working conditions for its workers and felt awful, but not enough to change my ways. As with driving instead of taking public transportation appealing to our better angels won't do the trick. Taxes on Amazon and other businesses like Uber/Lyft and Air BnB that disrupt while using resources the tax payers create and maintain may make a difference. Essentially we are underwriting the destruction of our own tax base, transportation systems, and environment because it is hard to resist convenience!
7
Earlier this year, while driving back roads through Spain, my husband and I pulled off the road to explore some Roman ruins. We walked down the stone street where the outline of each tiny storefront was clearly visible after two millennia. We’ve been shopping for a long time.
5
I have shopped online since it was possible. I have used Amazon for over 20 years . This is a great service for that segment of the population who truly detests shopping in stores. However, I have a problem with overnight shipping. The only items one needs overnight is medication (which most mail order pharmacies don't provide). Having all these packages delivered to your home so quickly is a waste of resources, and terrible for the environment.
10
The answer seems obvious to me yet retailers seem too stupid to realize it. A retailer like Macy’s should stack one of every size and make the retail experience about choosing the right product. But then everything is ordered and shipped via your phone and delivered to your house. You get the experience of touching the product that retail provides, and all the convenience of Amazon.
Me, me, me; so many commenters extoll the virtue of being able to click away and not get their lazy selfs out the door and join the human race: this attitude of doing only what is good for oneself with no thought whatsoever to the possibly much greater societal effect has permeated our society from top to bottom, from the “ designers” like Ralph Lipschitz Lauren, Donald “The Gap” Fisher, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger etc., who arguably began the off shoring of jobs to Asia that in turn began the dismantling of America’s manufacturing base and the decline of Americas middle class. This small group of folks and those that followed in other areas sold out America’s Middle Class and produced a wealthy class in China that has been buying up America’s real estate which is no longer affordable to Americans. I fully support Trump in his tariffs on Chinese goods although it’s something that should have been done decades ago, in reality it’ to late for anything and the greedy folks that run or own these companies know fully well that it’s just a matter before the Chinese won’t need American Companies at all in more as they begin selling factory direct through Chinese owned versions of Amazon, why bother with American companies at all: there are 3,000,000,000 Chinese and Indians out there waiting to program robots at a fraction of the cost, keep up the me, me attitude they will come for your job too, maybe the country next, in the meantime be oblivious, click away.
4
It might help if we would reinstate antitrust laws, updated for our modern times. Amzn gets away with this because they purposely undersell to get rid of competition. That used to be against the law.
And to all those in this commenting section with "I'm lazy, it's convenient, it cost $1 more to shop in person?" When there are no more stores to shop in, when your choices have shrunk to the ten identical cheap plastic items from China, you can see the results of your convenience habits. Stop whining about your privacy, stop whining about your taxes, stop whining about politics - and if you cannot see the connection then there is no hope.
9
My response to having to buy more clothes online is simply to buy fewer items. I get tired of ordering only to have it arrive and either not be the fabric or color I imagined or have it be too big or too long, then having to return.
In my local mall, the closing of Sears has put a damper on shopping. That Sears store stood in the middle of the mall. One had to walk through it to get from one end of the mall (Penny's, small stores) to the other end of the mall (Khol's, Target, small stores). Now it is either a long walk around outside or go back, get the car and drive to the other end of the mall.
As to Amazon - many of their delivery drivers don't give a flying fig about the customer. We (I live in a high-rise complex) have a locker system for deliveries. UPS, USPS, Fed-Ex use it appropriately. One gets a text & email with a code to open the locker. Many of the Amazon drivers simply toss the package on the floor of the locker room or even in the building lobby - no notice it has arrived, available to anyone to steal.
2
I don’t believe there is a customer like Lundgren describes, who browses online and goes to the store to buy. Just the opposite, they browse at the store and go online to buy. Last Thanksgiving I didn’t even want an Instant Pot, but browsing through a Macy’s ad in the paper I saw a cheap one so I went online and Amazon sent it. Why would I leave the house on Black Friday?
1
I have placed hundreds and hundreds of orders with Amazon, and they have batted well over 99% in getting me the product within a few days. When I visit their website, it is easy to navigate, and re-orders are straight forward.
By contrast, the orders I have tried to place with other companies online? Inevitably, I end up on the phone, on hold for interminable times, trying to get the product from the website to my door.
That's the secret, that's Amazon's unfair advantage, at least from the perspective of this consumer. It's not price, it's not tax avoidance, it's not about one or two day delivery. It's not about bells and whistles. It's not even about having all manner of products under one digital roof.
If I run across a competitor whose website is navigable and up-to-date, and who reliably ships my purchases within a few days, and I will be happy to shop there as my contribution to a world of business competition.
4
I live in one of the smaller markets where my only choices are Walmart or Amazon. More often than not, Amazon has what I need and Walmart doesn't. It is that simple, unless I want to take a 3-4 hour round trip to somewhere that has more options and the items I need. The cost of doing that is much more than my monthly Prime membership.
Which is something this article and many others have never touched. In smaller markets, like mine, Walmarts have moved in to crush the smaller local retailers and end up being the only choice in town.
1
(With thanks to Yogi Berra), nobody goes to outlet malls anymore. The parking lots are too crowded.
Shopping has always been what I consider a huge chore.You have to block out a large amount of time to get in the car and navigate traffic to get to the Department store where there is another challenge to find a parking place.Once you arrive at the store there is a game of hide and seek as you search for the items you want.if you are lucky enough to find an item or two that are suitable there is always a search for a clerk and a wait to check out.Long before Amazon I checked out of this frustrating effort to shop.Even before computer sales I called stores and placed orders.If I want to wander and view beautiful objects I go to museums.I see no way brick and mortar can compete with on line shopping!
3
Competition is a part of capitalism. Some retailers have truly stepped up to the plate. Of note: Nordstrom’s, Bloomingdales, and Target. Their merchandise selection is terrific and their customer service is truly excellent.
I’ve ordered merchandise on Amazon that’s turned out to be counterfeit. Amazon’s marketplace is so vast their quality control is nonexistent. Speak to a person? Forget it. I’ve been burned enough times that I order very little on Amazon, and generally it’s the occasional book for my Kindle.
2
This is what Andrew Yang is talking about every day. Amazon is posting billions in profit and closing 30% of retail stores. Retail stores are the tax base of local communities. Amazon business model allows them to carry a much larger variety products at lower costs. They overcome slim profit margins with high number of transactions for great gross profit. Emotional shoppers can go to brick and mortar stores to support local economy, avoid contributing to Amazon. But the convenience and efficiency of online ordering will continue to take over retail industry. Heavy Amazon taxes will not work. YouTube Andrew Yang to see how we can share in the benefits of Amazon's growth with a citizen dividend funded through value-added tax.
1
This is a well written and researched piece that is on point, thank you. These are my views on shopping something I do not for a love of doing so but to buy what I need, at a very researched price in a convenient way. Terry Lundgren is absolutely right about his former Macy's - a huge conglomeration of many chains to bulk up - all in the name of brick mortar stores. That model is long dead and Macy's is struggling to be relevant. Order an item to pick up in the store is an excellent amenity for me - but execution in the store is another thing. I went recently to do just that and the staff working the pick up - were miserably trained and indifferent. Nordstroms new flagship on 57th St, I predict will be a big failure. 7 stories of escalators to peruse expensive stuff available more conveniently elsewhere? Good luck, the rich will not be flocking there - remember that store called Barney's? Kohls is a nice smallish Department store - the right size with excellent clothing choices - not enough to get me to waste time there but their Amazon partnership is what needs to be tried etc. My take on the partnership? Amazon will buy them for their excellent locations across the US. Amazon is seeing real competition from Walmarts who have been willing to try different things including online. They know retail and what get's people in the door on onto their desktops - predict Walmart is the big winner overall and paying attention to rewarding their staff more than in the past - win win!
You write, "Competing with Amazon has never been a fair fight." Whoever told you capitalism was fair? It's always about competition. Adapt or die. What Mr. Bezos did was brilliant by utilizing the internet as a marketing tool and modernizing delivery based on that and computer technology. Small example - I had to tune my chainsaw. I replace the sparkplug then as I always want a spare instead of getting in my truck, driving to a store I just ordered it online at a cost of $5.24. Kind of self-explanatory why Amazon is winning...
2
My refrigerator died one Thursday am. Too old to repair. That involves finding a repair person, getting an appointment 2 weeks out. Need a refrigerator now. Called several stores to check availability. Only one size fits where the space I have. They can order it for me but time line is 2-4 weeks before it will be delivered. Oh by the way delivery is $100. Desperate, go to Amazon, yes they have them, can deliver on Saturday morning. No add on delivery charge, no wait , no charge to take away the dead fridge. Exact same cost as local stores. That’s done.
3
Easy enough: force Amazon to sell off its Amazon Web Services division under antitrust law (it accounts for
essentially all of Amazon's profit). That would make Amazon have to complete at retail on much less predatory terms as it couldn't operate its e-commerce business at a loss as it does now in forcing it's competitors out of business
5
Recently the CEO of Macy’s appeared in a pathetic commercial, almost pleading for relevance. There was none of the former magic of the retail experience conveyed in his “Steve Jobs Wanna Be” striding in front of the camera. If he’d pulled a black turtleneck from an untouched rack, pulled it over his head before the Director called for “action” it couldn’t have been more on the nose. My television became smellavision, as the man’s desperation wafted out of the screen.
In New Jersey, they’ve built a ski slope and water park in a mall, charging a silly fee just for the chance to experience real estate developer’s last best hope for retail.
In our small town, except for the few stores who merchandise surprise and discovery into their product offerings, I buy to keep Main Street alive. Even then, their rents push prices beyond what I can easily find for less, online, and have shipped to my home the very next day.
Not long ago, I drove half and hour to a big box outdoor equipment co-op store. Surely they’d have the essential thing I needed to keep my kayak from skittering off my roof.
No. No they didn’t. I drove the half hour home, booted up my computer and ordered directly from the manufacturer. The webbing straps came the next day.
The only way for retail to survive is for it to be an event. I need something else to draw me out amongst the throngs, looking through racks for a color and a size I could better find online, from 20 different, anonymous sources. Bye Macy’s.
2
The concept behind Amazon and its complete penetration of the consumer market is nothing new. In 1888 Edward Bellamy published his dystopian novel "Looking Backward" in which quite presciently he described such a scheme of complete consumer fulfilment, down to the short-circuiting of delivery time. Truly there is nothing new under the sun...
3
Would you like me to tell you why Amazon succeeds?
1) Ease of shopping. I can go on one site and see all kinds of things.
2) Ease of payment. I can have an account with one credit card and instantly get an e-book or stream a movie or buy a lawnmower, while lying in bed or sitting on the couch.
3) No nonsense delivery. I get my order in a proper time frame. Sometimes it is next day, sometimes next week. But it arrives quickly. I can even go to a safe site if I worry about home delivery.
4) No nonsense refunds. If I am unhappy, Amazon makes it right by me right now.
5) Customer service by phone. I send a message asking for a phone call and someone gets right back to me. Not tomorrow, not in a couple of hours. Right now.
6) I don't have to drive to a store.
Amazon is the Sears Catalogue of the 21st century. It makes a lot of money because it takes the customer seriously. Nordstrom used to do this, but their customer service has gone downhill over the years. Yes, Amazon exploits their workers, but so does EVERY corporation and most small businesses. It is a question of how far the company is on the continuum. You cannot survive in the modern world without buying corporate products. At least with Amazon, you get what you paid for. You cannot say that about other corporations. It is hit and miss.
1
There are two factors at play. First, the de-professionalization of retail jobs and the race to the bottom has made shopping miserable in the US (and the UK). Online shopping has not gained as much a foothold in the Nordics, for example, because retail workers are unionized and have relatively high status and pay. They are pleasant and knowledgable. While it does mean the products are more expensive, the experience acquiring them is super pleasant, and you always get exactly what you need. Think, on the other hand, about how it was with Best Buy, Sears, etc. What a nightmare.
Second, Amazon has simply been more successful in unloading its expenses on society than other retailers. It may be that a Swede pays more for Christmas lights than an American *at the register*. But a Swede pays fewer insurance and social costs than an American. Amazon is actually not cheap--it's just that society pays for half of its costs through a number of government transfers. If an Amazon worker is homeless, we pay for his/her regular ER visits and the social cost of his/her child being in and out of school and eventually becoming criminal. We pay for the food stamps and Medicare that many of those workers receive. It goes on and on. Had we shelled out more for all of those products, our taxes would not have to pay for Amazon's employee benefits.
7
Why didn't you mention JC Penney?
1
Why should we have any loyalty to retail stores? They’ve ripped us off for years, they treat their employees horribly as well, and the malls they exist in are obscene. So for all the downsides of Amazon, the fact that I don’t have to get in my car and drive to a mall where I may or may not find what I want- all for higher prices- well no thank you. Good riddance. Just please clean up after yourself when you leave. Bad enough we’re stuck with a bunch of vacant ugly strip malls.
4
Come on..when was the last time anyone got up to change the channel on their tv and you don't even have to leave your living room for that? Given the choice between point and click and running out to the store where you may or may not find what you're look for? I'll point and click thank you very much. BTW, I also don't miss hailing taxi's.
1
Rampant consumerism is destroying humanity and the earth. Amazon.com is making it worse by making it more convenient to consume. All this easy shipping must be even more environmentally unfriendly. I don't need something shipped to me in one or two days. I plan ahead, consume only went really needed, and can delay gratification.
3
This article is whistling in the wind.
The era of brick and mortar retail stores is over. Amazon killed it.
The public has accepted this fait accompli.
Why hasn’t the writer?
1
I drove around three towns looking for a part for my year snow blower and in every store I visited I was told that they don't make that anymore. I went online at amazon and within five minutes I had the part and it arrived two days later. I could have save all that driving and visited Amazon.
Costco seems to be doing fine. Why is that?
3
@Mortimer - It is because they pay their people well, have cheap prices, good customer service, pleasant salespeople, quick refunds and lots and lots of Canadian customers.
4
On what metric is the "economy doing well"? Online sales still count for less than 20% of overall retail. Luxury is fine because the 1% is fine, and stores like Walmart and Target are fine because the middle class is dissapearing. In Walmart's case, they are just as unethical as Amazon is with vendors and labor to keep themselves competitve. Stores like Macy's that were for the middle class are struggling because the middle class is struggling.
5
When we purchase online, too many of us never think of the effect on our communities. Retailers and small businesses add jobs, life and vitality, and thus safety, to our neighborhoods in a way that packages sitting on the porch never will.
5
Am I a dinosaur because I love the tactile, social and mindful experience of shopping? It's my favorite antidepressant.
Wander the store, feel the fabrics, savor the colors, enjoy the company of other shoppers. Chat with the sales help, try on some new looks, come home with a pretty scarf or a bag of crisp apples from the farmer's market.
How sterile, empty and lonely is the online shopping by comparison. Sad as an afternoon using a laptop for what is best delivered by another warm-bodied human being.
We need hugs, housecats and busy, bright stores, not darkened rooms pressing levers to get boxes delivered like so many nuggets of rat chow.
14
There are two main things that keep me from shopping at Amazon more than I already do: Shame over the boxes piling up in front of my door (I don’t want my neighbors thinking I’m. A shopaholic) and disgust at the enormous amount of cardboard and plastic waste that those packages produce. I will often avoid ordering from specific stores or brands, even if I love their products, because I know how terrible their packaging is. An online retailer that could deliver even a subset of what Amazon does, but with more responsible packaging, and in a more discreet way, would have my money. One idea is a service that delivers and then takes away the (reusable) packaging, kind of like the milkman used to take and reuse the glass milk bottles. I hope someone with an entrepreneurial spirit is reading this, because I think that a lot of people feel the same way as I do about it.
16
Maybe if people know that the CEO worth billions does not pay any federal income tax, that might convince some people to shop elsewhere.
I refuse to buy from Amazon. I don't care if they are cheaper and I can get it the next day. They also overwork their employees.
9
@Beverley Bender
But that isn’t true
It would be nice if retailers presented what I’d like to buy: well made clothing in high quality fabrics. I would pay much more for these but you can’t find them for love or money. This is further proof that our economy is not built in fair competition.
List of things I’d pay more for:
High quality well cut t-shirts in nice Cotton with body
Swimsuits in quick drying fabric - I’d take 3
Professional clothing with style for a 55 year old 185, 5’7 woman
And I would love to do that in a department store with a sales lady.
6
There’s no turning back. Shopping Malls and Big Box Stores closed Main St stores. Nobody could predict in the 1980’s, or before, the impact internet would make on all aspects of our lives. Remember the mega Barnes & Noble stores so popular before tablets? Who knew!
Now, instead of having to go to several stores, I can go online and find what I want and also a much larger selection of sizes and variety. It’s just too easy and time saving.
Suppose that makes me not socially aware or something, but frankly, I don’t care.
3
And the downtown areas will devolve into the crime ridden, graffiti covered holes they were in the 70s.
4
This is really about the large corporations waging war against small business. Not only do the large conglomerates now control distribution and prices of goods, their monopolistic positions allow them to control wages. Last year Amazon and many other large corporations paid nothing in federal taxes. How long did Amazon not pay taxes on its operations when other retailers had to?
Consider that in former times, when the government actually functioned the way it was supposed to, larger businesses were forced to pay higher taxes and wages which leveled the playing field. There were small, vibrant towns. The middle-class made a livable wage, etc. Today, you can certainly have everything shipped, but small-town U.S.A. has been emptied, its towns sucked dry by Walmart and Amazon. Wages have been stagnant for over 2 decades now.
Yup, there's no free lunch, and someday, when people realize that buying a bunch of stuff doesn't make them happy, and their kids are working for pennies because there are no good-paying jobs, they can thank Amazon and other large corporations.
14
That photo of an Amazon warehouse is like a dystopian nightmare. Talk about alienation from our work, from craft, from humanity itself; Amazon has wrapped up garbage in plastic and cardboard and delivered it in a nanosecond. And the world burns.
20
And we all contribute....
2
I needed a wallet. An employee told me to go to Kohl's. Drove 3 miles t5o their Yonkers store. Wandered through a giant structure with no employee I asked able to tell me where wallets were sold. Walked by much merchandise collected under one roof, but who cares, that was not for me, I needed a wallet.
Eventually with no small degree of difficulty, located the wallet area which wound its way through several counters. Merchandise was priced all on the same level; seemingly from only two or three vendors; and was of horrid quality.
Drove 3 miles home and ordered a wallet which had been advertised on line at the NYT. In a day or two (and less if I had ordered from Amazon) a uniformed agent of the US government (or a professional delivery service) placed my new wallet on my doorstep.
So Kohl's - no convenience, no selection, no service, several dollar worth of gasoline and wear and tear. Lots of stuff in the store but what I needed was a wallet - the other stuff was meaningless to me. Plus the "shopping" wasted an hour out of my life. Why would I possibly go back? It's on line if at all possible when I shop.
13
In brick and mortar stores you can read labels and find out where things are made. On Amazon it's hidden.
4
Contrary to what my anthropology professor said, we are still hunters and gatherers.
4
However, smaller regional chains like Von Maur continue to open new stores, with a focus on high levels of service, and quality merchandise. Perhaps that’s a key?
I really no longer enjoy shopping in stores. At one time I used to be able find what I wanted at one store. I find I may have to go to three stores and there’s no guarantee any will have what I seek. It seems the brick and mortar stores have reduced inventories and options. Even the apps the stores have developed seem useless; it will say it’s not in store, order online and that’s what I do and not from them. More often than not, I buy from Amazon.
4
120 years ago the Sears catalogue was “destroying” retail stores, enabling shopping without having to leave one’s home. So, nothing new about what today’s on-line retailers enable the consumer to do. Just like 120 years ago, those who want to can go to retail stores. But odds were back then that Sears had more selection at a better price. Odds are today the on-line retailer has a better selection at a cheaper price.
5
I seldom, if ever, buy clothing, food, or shoes from Amazon. Instead, I purchase products that I can't find in my local stores. I have these delivered in one shipment.
Otherwise, the local stores get plenty of our business. DH likes the neighborhood hardware store, where he can leisurely browse products. The various pet stores provide our cats with food and cat litter. Vitamins, toothpaste and other drugstore items are purchased from local retailers as well.
As to clothing, shoes and the like - I'll order that online - but not from Amazon.
4
I've stopped shopping at Amazon because so many items that I've bought were not the real thing, but rather some grossly inferior knock off. The quality control at Amazon seems to be non-existent now, so it's truly buyer beware.
6
Hello Already...Check carefully if you are buying from Amazon itself or a third party posting on their site.
Also note that Amazon stands behind what it sells; if you don't like it, a quick phone call and you'll either have your money back, or have a replacement on the way. And
Amazon almost never ask for their original product back on lower priced merchandise..
2
I'd be curious to know what the percentage of people who use Amazon for half or most of their shopping needs are those who complain about not being able to find products made in the US.
The fact is, buying products so cheaply is what forced jobs overseas. You can't have it both ways.
7
One thing that hasn't been touched upon (I only got a quarter of the way through the comments) is the lack of expertise in retail. It used to be that you could find someone in a store that really knew their stuff. Sometimes an associate might even go and grab this person to help with your inquiry. Now? Low paid workers punching the clock. There are exceptions of course: Home Depot. The tailors in the men's department at Macy's (Herald Square). I spread it around btw. Some online shopping, some neighborhood shopping, some big box (Costco, Macy's). The trick with retail shopping in Manhattan is going when the crowds of tourists are smaller than usual. Century 21 early in the morning for example. Finally, my list of places to avoid has grown as well. Haven't been to a Best Buy in ages (see above). Walmart because it's Walmart! I love that there are so many choices. After reading this article I wonder if that will always be the case.
2
I shudder to think what our skies will look like when Amazon gets their drones to make instantaneous deliveries.
There isn't much I need that has to be delivered immediately. How much junk do we need?
We're getting to the point where there will only be online purchasing shortly. There's so much money involved in this aspect of consumerism that there's no incentive to prevent it from happening.
There are still people like me, who want to touch, feel and appraise an item's style and worth. I also hate returning things, restocking fees and miscellaneous cheats that take place in online shopping.
When online shopping is the only thing left to me, I'll head to the nearest thrift store and call it a day. Amazon is merely a symptom of a broken system and excessive greed.
5
I agree with what most other people have said about department stores - I have fond memories of them from childhood but they’re terrible in practice. That said, not all in-person shopping is made equal. I’ve had great experiences at Ralph Lauren, for example. They treat you like a million bucks even if you don’t have a million bucks. Given the positive experience, the relatively close location, and the value of trying on clothes before buying them, I plan to continue to visit stores like that (or Banana Republic which is similar) when I need clothes. Basically, for brick and mortar shops to survive they have to be focused, have adequate stock, and offer an experience that makes people want to return.
8
I remember walking to the "avenue" to shop as a teenager; then came the malls; I asked why should I drive out there when I can get what I want walking here. Then came amazon, at first, so easy, so convenient. No exercise, no interaction, but okay. Now amazon is cheaper goods, pop ads, rate your experience, answer this customer, Nah, amazon doesn't do enough for me that I owe them anything. They compromised Whole Foods, no longer organic, just animal friendly, whatever that means. I'm back to the Avenue and I am perfectly fine with that.
5
That photo of the Amazon Fulfillment Center sure is pretty. What isn't visible is the toll on human beings, which is enormous:
https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/11/amazon-warehouse-reports-show-worker-injuries/602530/
3
@Dotconnector
The real unreported story there is that Amazon successfully lobbies cities to get exceptions for their building regulations, and puts people at risk. This is a huge failure of cities to enforce building codes.
That's how you get workers passing out from the lack of air conditioning and ventilation. That's how you get people peeing in bottles because bathrooms are so few and far between that it takes the entire 15 min break to get from your workstation to the bathroom.
Does it take 15 minutes of walking to get to a bathroom in a shopping mall? No. Why not? Because there are building codes that mandate the how many bathrooms you're supposed to have, and where they should be placed.
2
They could form a union and call it something like United Department Stores of America and then threaten to go on strike if we don't all shop there more often...Oh wait a minute if they close their doors then how can we get in to shop ?
Well they'll think of something...
A high end Westfield shopping center in San Diego (UTC) just expanded, brought in many new stores and restaurants, and built a parking garage. But they decided to charge for what used to be free parking. $2 per hour after the first 2 hours. No validation allowed. Sunday we shopped in one store for 1 1/2 hours for a new wardrobe, and when it came to have lunch we left the mall to go elsewhere rather than stay and pay. Stupidity is one reason even even the better centers are failing.
9
Stop telling tall women and women over a size 12 to go online, and just stock the sizes in the store.
12
Well, now, with Walmart, let;s see.
Their web site either can't tell me what they've got in stock in the store, or can't get it right.
I have never ONCE had an online purchase show up on time and prove to be the correct item in the correct size, and I tried three times before giving up.
Also before giving up, I complained to Walmart. I told them to stop sending things by UPS and Federal express, because they are far better at losing packages than managing to deliver them. I got a phone call from someone in the back offices at corporate, but she wouldn't do what I asked. Amazon will stop shipping to a customer by methods the customer reports bad experiences with. I said if you're not listening, I'm done talking and done doing business with you.
She had called me just to tell me she's going to call them and tell them they've got a problem! Have you seen the huge piles of packages randomely strewn all over the parkinglot at those places. They don't CARE if they have a problem!
Now, Target won't lower it's prices. It's ridiculous! AND their selection is often terrible! The same four foot artifiical Christmas tree I got for $25 at Walmart is $86 at Target, on sale at 50% off. I don't think so!
These stores have noone to blame but themselves.
3
Yes, Amazon is very handy. I admit to purchasing through them quite often. I live in a rural area, there is limited retail nearby (about 40 miles for any real variety). That being said, the small city (35,000) 20 miles away has some nice stores and still has a very small Macys. I try and do at least part of my holiday shopping at small, locally owned stores. I don't have many to buy for though. I am also having some reservations about Amazon, having read recent articles about all the counterfeit wares being sold, and also the incredible pressure it puts on workers in fulfillment centers. We should all consider this though - do we want no retail in our towns? Do we want to really have one option - an Amazon or maybe Walmart? What will our towns and cities look like if these gigantic warehouse stores win out? It's almost an existential question our society must address.
7
I try to shop at places that aren't Amazon, but often I need some random item that I couldn't find or wouldn't know where to find elsewhere. I try eBay or other online shops, but for many things they're the easiest option.
And another set of problems - San Francisco has terrible public transportation, so that's out as an option, and vicious meter maids so driving to shop only works for me when the destination provides parking. Make the mistake of shopping at a neighborhood shop and accidentally extend your visit and you'll get $85 added to your tab for the day.
Add on to that the terrible traffic (thanks, Über) and I'm more than happy to shop online. On the plus side, SF hasn't had a mass shooting in quite a while; they don't seem as common here.
7
@SB Add to that, it's nearly impossible to find parking in SF because of the rampant abuse of disabled parking placards. Walk down any street in San Francisco and you'll count more cars with disabled placards than without, sitting at meters all day, free of charge.
6
I heep reading stories like this and keep marvelling at how poorly old-style retailers understand today’s customers. It’s about money (fair price) and service and saving time ib a too-busy world. Even before Amazon soared, Walmart and costco understood this and still do, succeeding with two different models. Most people are on limited incomes, especially seniors. I think it’s important to support local business and do whenever possible. But today i was in our local supermarket, one of the biggest chain in Canada and it wanted me to pay $19.99 for a bag of 38 dishwasher soap tabs, while 15 minutes away the smart brand and type of tabs sell at costco for $3 less and you get 120 tabs. It’s an easy choice, especially when the item doesn’t rot! And macy’s may like it when shoppers research online then buy in store, but in my experience it usually goes the other way....i often browse in stores - i did so for an electric chainsaw this past summer - to see, get a feel for the item, assess its quality which you can’t easily do online, read info on box, even talk to a clerk. But if it’s priced at $279, i’m going to comparison shop. The very same model/brand on Amazon canada was $198, two day free shipping. Sorry retailer (also a large national chain), i’ll save my $80 at amazon. And this occurs over and over again. Interestingly, that hardware store chain has recently revamped its stores and is seriously challenging walmart on many prices. It’s possible!
6
@N. Cunningham
Costco requires a hefty membership fee that negates any savings you could get. Unless you have a large family or a small business, you're not saving much of anything from shopping at Costco. They're not stupid, and have taken these costs into account. That's how they know how to set the membership fee.
Most people don't know how to shop, or evaluate the true cost of the cheap goods they purchase. You can buy cheap junk at Walmart that quickly wears out, and forces you to repurchase the item again. Classic example: shoes and socks.
In what universe does it make sense to spend $40 a pair of Walmart shoes that last you maybe a year versus $140 on a pair of proper shoes that last you 7 years, and are far more comfortable for your feet?
In the same universe where people believe that $700 phones are free and Kraft Dinner is a cheap. Never mind that you can buy four times the amount of macaroni for the same price, and season it with real cheese instead of orange-colored sawdust.
5
There you go. Use the brick and mortar store for actually seeing the product, then talk with a sales person who may be able to provide knowledge and insight into the product. Then you leave the only place (or similar places) where you can actually see it and talk with someone about it in order to buy it from an online aggregator. Never mind that the retailer has invested in a building where you can see it, invested in an employee to provide product knowledge and inventory so that that the product is actually there. If you must buy it online, then stay out of stores and quit using their resources for free. People with your attitude will eventually put them out of business, and then you can continue to buy from pictures on the internet, and if that’s not good enough, well TS.
4
The problem with the brick and mortar companies is that they have been unwilling to close failing stores. They haven't been willing to take the quarterly hit to earnings that closing a store creates. So they continue to be locked into locations with expensive rent and flat or slightly dwindling sales where their Excel spreadsheets had promised them a rising tide in sales and profits. Like deer in the headlights, they have been slow to trim the fat, the failing locations. In addition denial and deferred maintenance have built up in a retail industry that was predicated on high markup and ever rising sales.
The marketing and sales depts kept saying spend more money on advertising, on promotions, on commissions, but all those costs consumed profits. So instead of cutting costs, like Walmart did a few decades ago, many retail stores continued the foolishness of believing more sales and marketing costs will result in more sales. WRONG!!!
All that is over. The key advantage that Amazon has is that it doesn't waste money on silly marketing and sales gimmicks. Amazon profits on being low cost and high volume with low overhead (no stores on mainstreet) .
2
My question is: What do people do with the time they saved buying on Amazon?
Work more so they can buy more or really improve their quality of life?
6
As long as people would rather push a button than bestir themselves to go shopping...Amazon will win.
Many people already prefer to interact with computer screens rather than other human beings. And they won't realize what they're losing, until they've lost it.
7
There are many consumers who just don't like to shop; they view shopping as a necessary evil. And some department stores seem to go out of their way to reinforce those feelings. There is one prominent NYC department store that I am convinced maintains a training program in rudeness and indifference for its staff.
On-line retailers are very attractive to people who don't like to shop; no need to travel to the store, find your way around a poorly laid out multi-story store, wait for a sales person who probably doesn't know much about the merchandise or, if you find what you are looking for, lugging it home.
The authors write "Competing with Amazon has never been a fair fight." I disagree; for years Amazon recorded losses and took lots of criticism from stockholders and analysts while it built the infrastructure for a business model that many consumers like. Now it has the benefit of that investment.
9
I walked around Nordstrom’s, the supposed Cadillac of customer service, for more than twenty minutes before I could find someone to pay for the item I found without assistance. I find in most department stores, you either can’t find someone to check out, or there’s one cashier and a line forever. That’s when I leave and order online. I am tired of poorly merchandised items, crammed onto racks or empty racks with a few cheap, stretched out items. I can find everything I need in a ten minute trip through amazon and have it on my shelf the next day. Other online retailers do a great job as well. I no longer waste my time shopping. As for shop local- would love to if there was local to shop. Not where I live....
8
Amazon has a whole list of advantages over retail stores. These include customer-friendly (and nearly irresistible) benefits like convenience, speed, returns so easy that often you sometimes don't even to return an item to get a refund. Many times, an Amazon representative has told me to "just keep it or give it to someone." For older folks, like me, who no longer drive, Amazon is a miracle.
But most likely their greatest strength is in the absolute ruthlessness with which they have chewed up and destroyed retailers of every kind, but most destructive of the culture, independent book stores and publishers. If they care about this at all, it is not apparent.
Everything I have read about the work environment is terrifying. The pressure to produce, so great, that employees are driven into nervous breakdowns-and then fired.
I have been opposed for a long lifetime to just this kind of out-of-control capitalism, and yet here I am, at age 73, ashamed of myself for compromising fifty+ years of deeply held ethical beliefs for an order of toilet paper in bulk, delivered to my door in two days.
The alternatives are out-of-reach, either financially or logistically.
I despise Amazon, and I've just placed an order.
9
@oldteacher No need to be so hard on yourself. Many American factory and retail workers are treated like or worse than the Amazon worker. Your "right to work" state of Virginia is one of the worst states in the country for wages and benefits. Your local Food Lion grocery clerk or Macarthur Mall cashier makes less but you likely shop there with out remorse. Thanks for your service in education.
6
Consume consume consume. We are consuming this planet. Rampant consumerism will be the death of this world.
Stop buying what you don’t need. Before you buy ask yourself: do I really need this. Do I really want it. Can I live without. If you don’t answer yes yes yes then pass.
150
@Fed up I think you mean yes yes no.
7
@Fed up
At first blush everything you write makes to sense. Then I asked myself what does Fed Up do/did for a living that makes you not reliant on consumers? Writer, teacher, doctor, lawyer, mathematician, carpenter artist; we all need people to buy into (consume) what we do or we don’t make a living. You argue the extent of what “we need” vs what “we want”.
Do you “need” the NYT online or do you “want” the NYT? Could the money you spend for your subscription go to some worthy non profit perhaps? So let’s not sit in altruistic judgment of consumerism. We all consume what we really really want pretending that we really need it. We really need is a little less judgment despite the fact you really want to give it.
4
@Leslie
I am not judging any one. Just stating facts that we should all be aware of and give some (plenty?) of though to. I am not saying that we should be living in caves and wearing loincloths. I am saying that we should be much more thoughtful of how we use the earth's precious resources.
A subscription to the NYT is not depleting or degrading this world in any way. I have some neighbors, as you probably do, that just buy w/o thinking. And when the trash collector comes they always have 2 or 3 pails full of trash. My wife and usually have one (half) bag full.
Tread lightly my friends.
3
If Amazon sold beer, I'd never leave home.
7
you can't include sears or toys R us in this, they were looted by the vulture capitalists that stole them.
10
@what about the environment
That’s a cute Liz Warren fantasy. But the reality is that the internet and Wal-Mart killed Sears and Toys R Us.
1
One reason I shop online is because I do not have to deal with MAGA store workers who are not happy to serve non whites.
7
I get the convenience, really I do. But...I will always support our locally owned stores. It's what makes a community feel like a community. The owner of our local running store (where I always buy my shoes) was telling me how many people come in and try on shoes, with no intention of buying. After making the local retailer work and provide customer service, they go home and order from Amazon. What, to save $5, $10? Lame.
13
@Camarda check it out further....amazon will routinely save you more like $40-$300 on items. It adds up fast!
1
Not only lame, but wrong on every level. It’s a form of stealing from that retailer.
1
The article implies why physical stores are failing. Physical and online stores are playing under different rules. Physical stores need to show a profit otherwise their stock prices will fall and they will lose investors. Online stores don’t need to show a profit. They can operate at a loss and people will still invest hoping for the IPO and/or huge stock value gains. Amazon can lose money on its purchases but as long as the stock price reflects future hope rather than current value they stay in business. Venture capitalists have more money than they can invest and get large returns. Since one big hit can make up for many losses they are willing to continue to invest in companies that regularly lose money. That investment supports companies that sell at a loss who then undercut physical stores. As the online companies force more physical stores out of business the need for online shopping increases. It is a fatal downward spiral for physical stores and tax bases and an upward spiral for online stores and the fewer places that have fulfillment centers.
4
@Publius
Exactly. Amazon makes the most money, and began to show a profit, only because of AWS, i.e. selling server space.
Due to the large number of returns, it's very difficult for Amazon to show a profit.
That's why they changed their tack and decided to have Amazon-branded products compete with other sellers, raised transaction fees on sellers and basically made it mandatory to have Amazon process the order instead of an independent retailer.
And let's not even mention counterfeit products, tampered products, or the fact that they can ban you for returning too many items, without making it clear as to how they came to that decision.
I was at Bloomingdale's on Saturday and encountered the most helpful and accommodating saleswoman I have ever experienced. She went out of her way to assist me and went beyond the call of duty. I needed a situation fixed and she was on the phone trying to reach a manager. She even left her post to get someone to remedy my situation. She not only was excellent but restored my faith in humanity.
I waited around for a manager to appear so I could tell her how wonderful this young woman was. I went out my way for her because she had gone out of her way for me. This woman was rare and I can see her going higher in the organization. She was a true find. This personal touch is rare but it can be achieved. I will remain a Bloomingdale's shopper. I think I will pass up Amazon.
10
Wow. We agree, completely. Thank you.
2
Phyliss Dalmatian,
Thank you for your kind comment. It is truly appreciated.
This was the first year I saw some brick and mortars stepping it up to compete with the behemoth Amazon on price and convenience. Office supply stores compete by having one or two day delivery and lowering their prices or price matching. I no longer buy ink from Amazon.
Amazon has really changed how I grocery shop but I have yet to buy from them. I enjoy the lower prices and pick up options at Walmart. Maybe Macy’s and Nordstrom’s should offer door to door delivery.
Mostly retail needs to step it. It needs to educate its workers about inventory. I have often been helped by, and have helped others with product info. Just try to find a cash register and a product knowledgeable clerk!
Malls and department stores need to make better use of the services and space. Why not train those retail workers to actually demonstrate a product?
For instance, cook something with an Insta-pot or show how to clean it. Have a daily fashion show with all that clothing . As for Mall space, why not include a mix of offices and retail in these malls instead of just shopping? The stores would have an available clientele.
Funny how retail is having a hard time competing with Amazon online and Amazon talks about opening brick and mortar stores.
4
I'm old enough to remember when people had to go to a store to buy stuff. These days I can buy anything I want without leaving my house. Thanks Amazon.
4
Here's why I don't shop locally (here in New York):
--It's overpriced.
--The staff is disinterested and unhelpful.
--The quality is poor.
--It could take twenty minutes or more to get to the store.
But more importantly:
--I don't really know if it works or is right.
Amazon has reviews where I can tell, for the most part, if it lasts or is effective, something a store can rarely tell me.
This is a major split in commerce.
Before reviews, we had to rely on advertisements, past experience, word of mouth or via a salesperson to know if the project is right for me--all of which are extremely imperfect.
Reading reviews combined with searching online for a few minutes is a powerful advantage over a store.
7
@Steven W. Giovinco
Uninterested, not disinterested
If shop employees were actually helpful, I’d go.
9
If retailers paid a living wage based on the location of their stores, helpfulness would increase. The employees can focus better on their job instead of worrying about making a living, and/or getting to their second (or third job).
1
Macys and JC Penney in the local mall have less sales associates, less registers open, even on sale days. When I find something I want to buy, I usually have to walk around the floor to find a register where I can pay.
16
@paul gottlieb
Same at Sears (Westland, MI).
The problem is that Amazon most often has what you can’t find locally. Ever more bare shelves and disorganized merchandise display complicates the problem. I’d rather have a few home deliveries than drive around from store to store to find what I need. Certain drug store chains are an exception, as are specialty boutiques offering personalized service and interesting options.
7
Call me old fashioned, but I am one of those persons who still prefers to see, touch and handle merchandise before I buy it!
15
Sears and Roebuck...(?)...began as a mail order Chicago business in the 1800's enabled by the expansion of railroads. that was a terrific success for more than a hundred years. They eventually expanded to brick and mortar stores but the next mail order powerhouse is now here; Amazon.
Try getting your lumber or plumbing from Amazon. Brick and mortar is here to stay, just in a different way.
2
$15 per hour average for Amazon factory workers is more than many factory workers make. 10 hours on your feet is standard at many American factories. For a high school or less educated worker, thank goodness that some have this option for subsistence. Most retail pays less. The carbon footprint of the open yet empty mall far exceeds the UPS man's gas.
8
I just looked at my purchase history on Amazon and this year will be a three-year low for my purchases there. Why? I can get better prices elsewhere on the things I want as cheap as possible, 8 out of 10 times. I can get better customer service and post purchase care on those things that I want that level of peace-of-mind. When I need things fast, I can jump in my car and have them in 15 minutes. When I want to buy a book, I get it from a retailer that does not want to stiff authors. What I do use Amazon for is research. I read the reviews and learn about the products. Then I go save money, or get the service I expect elsewhere. And I feel better about myself. I thought everyone figured this out by now. Hopefully they will soon.
20
@Stew
The price volatility of products on Amazon is insane. Just put something in your basket and periodically go check on it. The same item will go from $140 to $40 to $70 in a matter of days.
First of all, I completely disagree with the writers about their inclusion of Barney's New York as a victim of encroaching online commerce.
Barney's, an undisputed hyper luxury retailer failed for a variety of crucial missteps that are not governed by the likes of Amazon.
It's like saying Tiffany & Co. is considering becoming part of the LVMH family of luxury brands because of Amazon, completely apples and oranges.
Macy's, on the other hand, is NOT the R.H. Macy's of old and has not been for many a year now, the ideals of value and ethics died a terrible death in a hallowed hall of other old names such as Sears.
All this being said, I would never buy any clothing or jewelry from Amazon, Amazon has a VERY BAD problem with all too many of their third-party sellers.
The limited purchases of such items from Amazon have invariably been "disappointing" to say the very least.
The level of DECEPTION by these third-party sellers is dreadful and Amazon does NOTHING to alleviate this problem, instead, they rely on very questionable product feedback ratings.
I have much better experiences, for the most part, with a variety of other products but never ever again will I purchase clothing or jewelry through Amazon.
Frankly, I have found extraordinary bargains of incomparable value in some second-hand stores, although here again, there are second-hand stores and there are second-hand stores, it depends on the store.
10
It's Saturday, and I'd like to do some shopping -- but the malls don't open until 10 a.m., so I have time to kill, but not too much time, since it will take 30 minutes to fight through traffic and find a parking spot. Inside the mall, I'll need to walk through endless corridors to my destination, studiously avoiding eye contact with aggressive kiosk hawkers on the way, and wondering if the unruly teen mobs that prowl the place will start fighting with each other or worse. When I finally reach the store that I want, only if I'm lucky will they still have my size in stock. I go up to the counter, wondering if someone will be around to wait on me. Inwardly, I gird my loins for the hard sell I know is coming -- "Will you be using our store credit card today? No? But you could save 5% on your purchase right now!" or the ever popular "What's your e-mail address so I can put you on our sales mailing list?"
Seriously, does the retail industry need to ask why I'd rather just buy it online?
51
Retailers can only do so much. The rest is up to customers, to whom I say: Let your conscience be your guide. If you vote with your wallets, you will get what you paid for: more have nots, and the haves will have more.
Customers have responsibility in the US moving towards a two-tiered society.
1
i will never patronize amazon again: by the time they filled a book order for my father he had passed away.
nor kohl's: second rate/mismade merchandise. don't know how they can keep any labels.
macy's has always had a low-end reputation.
i have both shopped at nordstrom's in white plains, and ordered online. top notch quality and service. i hope their new store on 57h street will thrive.
having grown up in the clothing business, i have good classic clothes, some of which are over 30 years old. my advice is to buy the best quality affordable, learn proper care, and add style to classics with accessories.
6
Amazon only works because their business model is based on theft - wage theft, labor theft, bootlegs, knockoffs, and other sins. Capitalism at its best. It’s a charade, and it will continue until someone actually stands up to them. President Bernie can’t come soon enough.
7
@Jackson Chameleon
Never is not so soon
If you or I sold so much bootleg products without realistically trying to stop it, we’d be in jail. It’s business as usual for Amazon.
5
I just took five minutes to buy four items that would have taken me five hours minimum to buy a la carte, and I will have these items delivered tomorrow or Wednesday, the latest.
The luxury market is currently closed to Amazon, but even there I have started using online services. I find that personal customer service doesn’t nearly make up for lack of convenience, and many people complain online of not being treated well by sales staff or being judged by their appearance. Remember when Oprah wasn’t admitted into an Hermes boutique?
There is also a notable, aggressive “what have you done for me lately” direction taken by retailers like HERMES and Chanel. If you shop often, in person, and use the same salesperson each time, you are rewarded with the privilege of getting first dibs on certain merchandise. Essentially, it encourages groveling. I suspect a backlash will ensue in time, but it is working for them currently. C’est la vie, but no thanks.
Click a button, instant gratification, and you don’t have to look expensive to be treated well. Also, it’s great for seniors, the disabled and the lazy (me).
80
@A. Simon - To each their own. I prefer being able to touch and try on or try out the goods I'm purchasing. Unfortunately, all the "oh-isn-t-shopping-online-wonderful! people are also helping to destroy the in-store experience. Like so much else, service and selection are cut back as sales drop, part of the vicious cycle.
14
@A. Simon
Also those who can't be bothered to consider the impact of the actions on their local economy, or the environment.
10
@A. Simon interesting how you've conflated "shopping online" with "shopping on Amzn."
6
I just shipped a few gifts from Amazon, a few from on-line sites of brick and mortar stores. I prefer to shop in real stores, so why didn't I?
I need to ship gifts and online shipping is often cheaper than doing it yourself; Amazon shipping is free if you have prime.
And then there is the actual inventory stocked locally. It is - I am not allowed to use a lot of phrases in this well moderated forum - execrable. Why do the computers send a ton of size 2s and no 12s? Why are all the racks covered with clones of the stuff on the next rack? Why is the one item I need not there; the shelf is empty, the stock number is listed, but no one is home.
Why drive around, kill a weekend, then come home and order online anyhow? Skip the middleman.
If the stores want to compete, they have to act like it.
74
@Cathy Amazon Prime is not free shipping. You have paid Amazon a steep fee for Prime. Your prime products have shipping and return prices included in price. Amazon is NOT the best deal because Amazon sellers have to pay exorbitant fees to Amazon. If you shop around you will see this is true.
I once just shopped Amazon but Walmart, Target, EBay, Etsy all have free shipping, and indie website do too!
Don’t have to pay a fee to get free shipping. Walmart by the way has distribution centers around the country and I get way faster shipping from them than Amazon.
So TOTAL myth about Amazon.
I sell there so I know my facts.
22
Etsy’s new free shipping hurts the artist more often than not.
8
@NothingIsFree I gladly pay shipping from Etsy, because I believe in supporting smaller businesses.
8
This is a classic doubled-edged sword situation. Brick-and-mortars cannot complete with the vast variety, price point, and convenience of Amazon, yet for certain purchases, an in-store experience is preferred.
So what is the answer? Perhaps a brick-and-mortar tied to a larger curator/supplier like Amazon in some sort of networking deal?
Only time will tell. Best that we all make a concerted effort to support the little guys. It matters.
51
@Patricia "Yet for certain purchases, an in-store experience is preferred." Disagree.
For environmental reasons, I never shop online. There is also the matter of seeing things in an unreal, glamourized version on the web. I would be happy to browse online and try on/examine in-store and then carry home.
39
@R For environmental reasons, you prefer to shop at your local store, which is open long hours, running the lights and the heat/AC and the security system, and which takes diesel truck deliveries on a daily basis, just at times you don't see them. Depending where you live, your store may have a dedicated parking lot where housing units could be instead. Some of the employees may drive to work. When your local store runs low on something, they order it online from a distributor. But for "environmental reasons" you don't. OK.
26
Exactly. There's a not-so-fine line between virtue signaling and stupidity.
9
@Kyle C there are 2,200 airliners bringing your got to have do dad the next day.
3
We are fortunate at this time to be able to go to a store like Best Buys or Macys in order to see and touch the products many of us ultimately order from Amazon for a few dollars less.
If Amazon succeeds in closing the majority of brick and mortar stores, as seems the trend, we are doomed to guessing about the physical characteristics of our purchases, based on provided images.
1
In Northern Virginia, for the last few years, when I go to large malls, it is normal for a 20, 000 foot space to have 4 cashiers. It takes forever to finish anything. Somethings wrong when it takes as long to pay for the item as it did to look though all the items (clothes in particular).
7
The answer is simple...retailers are still living in the 1950’s, offering the same store formats and service.
Amazon cheated this. Retailers have not adapted.
56
@Paul
Absolutely agree. The Shoe Bar? I laughed. I don't need useless customer service.
2
Amazon has many issues. I have gotten products that aren't as described, been charged restocking fees I can't complain about in reviews for some bogus Amazon reason. If you try to find products you see the same brands filtered. It's not the Amazon of ten years ago. And, the predatory behavior is not good to subsidize. Try Target, Costco, your local bookseller. Support your own community! Bezos is rich enough.
117
@MaryM
"your local bookseller": if you live in a small town, chances are that your local bookseller has only calendars and the latest bestsellers, plus a lot of cook books. Fine if that is what you want, but if you are looking for something else, Amazon is the place where to look: "used" or "like new" hardcover books at much less than half the price. (I recently bought a "used - good" foreign-language dictionary for $2, plus $3.99 for shipping and handling. You can't beat that.)
5
@MaryM I go to the library. It’s “free”. Michigan State University has 7,900,000 books.
11
@Ronald I live in Bangkok, Thailand and can't easily get to the MSU library. Instead, I have never been disappointed with a Kindle e-book purchase, which I receive within about one minute after making a one key-stroke order -- half-way around the world from wherever.
Pretty low carbon footprint as well from that purchase.
3
We need to heavily tax (very very heavily) Amazon's packaging and the use of our streets and sidewalks as Amazon's sorting warehouse.
129
@LE@LE And also tax robot delivery.
9
Why stop there? Let's tax everything that increases convenience and lowers costs for consumers. ATMs, phone calls without operators, elevators without attendants, self-service gas.... You can't fight the future.
14
Streets are not free.
11
An increasing number of younger shoppers are not only boycotting Amazon, but also retailers like Kohl's, Macy's, and more. We are tired of cheap, low-quality items being marketed to us as "deals". Sure, there is still a large section of the population that relies on Amazon, but awareness is growing among younger generations about the perils of excess consumerism. And when a corporate behemoth like Amazon decides to rip off a sustainable, ethical brand like Allbirds, which is popular among millennials, we take notice.
104
@TwentySomething
I'm from the tail end of Gen X. I don't buy clothes from Amazon. I cannot afford to eschew Macy's and other traditional retailers for so-called ethical online brands. Allbirds sells what look like slippers. Other online brands sell really casual clothes as well. Anyone who has to dress up for work has to go to traditional retail route.
Something happened to the quality of clothes in the mid-aughts. Before then, I would buy clothes from Banana Republic, the Gap, J Crew, etc. and they would last for years and still look decent. Nowadays, clothes fall apart and look worn after a few wearings.
I
55
@TwentySomething You sound just like I did 30 years ago. Just sayin.'
16
@TwentySomething - The millenials in my building seem to be keeping Amazon open all by themselves. And there seems to be a contest over who can buy the biggest SUV or truck.
Seattle does have one Allbirds (your comment was my introduction). Its located in the priciest part of town and the only way I could afford their products was if I worked for...Amazon making 6 figures:)) I'll keep my Carharts:))
5
I shop both ways - Amazon when I need something I’m not sure where else to find; local when I know exactly what I want and where to find it, or I want to look at options or try on clothing. Sometimes I buy books on Kindle when traveling. I also buy books in bookstores, because bookstores and books have made a huge impact in my life, not only the ideas in books, but the process of discovery in touching and skimming real books in a store. My brain lights up in a way not possible ordering books on Amazon.
I actively shop local because I don’t want department stores or bookstores or retail to die simply because Amazon can afford, and is allowed to pursue, aggressive predatory pricing and “free” shipping (paid by my $120 annual Prime fee). I have knowingly paid more at Walgreens for toiletries.
My point? While I cannot boycott Amazon, I will not give into, or over to, them. They are a monopoly and we as a culture are so bedazzled by billionaires that our legislators seem incapable of creating regulations that curb monopolies’ worst illegal practices.
I feel the conflict and tension even writing this post. I want a better solution, one where Amazon does not win everything. I do not have answers. Sigh...
135
@Suzanne I feel guilty every single time I order from amazon
13
@Suzanne "EMarketer Inc., among the most widely cited sources for estimates of U.S. online retail sales, says it now expects Amazon to account for 37.7% of online commerce this year, down from a prior estimate of 47%. The new market share numbers were reported earlier Thursday by the Information.
An Amazon spokesman said EMarketer reached out to the company’s analyst relations group after Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos disclosed that independent merchants accounted for 58% of gross merchandise sales on the retail site -- the first time the company had made that metric public."
Monopoly? Seriously?
1
@Suzanne
I get free shipping from Amazon all the time: I just wait to place an order until it totals $25 or more; then I get free shipping (I do have to wait a couple of days more than you do with Prime, but what is the rush anyhow?)
7
Blaming Amazon for the demise of brick and mortar retail is ridiculous. It was the big box stores like Walmart and Target that killed the local mom and pop shops. Now it's Amazon that's killing the big box stores. I don't want to drive through a traffic jam to a big box store just to fight for a parking space and face the endless searching down the rows of merchandise only to stand in long lines at the checkout counter. Amazon succeeded because of their singular focus on the customer experience. Need to return an item? No problem. Need it delivered tomorrow? OK. I still shop in local mom and pop stores when I'm walking through town. Otherwise it's Amazon.
6
Parking is a nightmare at the malls in Miami and most sales associates don’t even speak English. So I buy most of my clothes online from Macy’s and Nordstrom. The ironic thing is that the selection of women’s clothes from their brick and mortar stores is awful.
8
Why I shop online: Having turned 50 in 2017, I decided I wanted to order a brand new Ludwig drum kit as a divorce/made it a half century present. I wanted to shop local. I went to 4 different music stores in the Tacoma/Seattle area. All they had were the colors and configurations they had. They didn’t want to take the time to custom order the specific color and configuration. When I finally had it at my last stop which was a big box music store, Guitar Center, same thing. Except this time the clerk kept stopping our transaction and dealing with purchases. Small purchases. I kindly said, you can stop looking now. I walked up to the manager and said you guys had a customer with 6K burning a hole in his pocket, and you decided to not take the time to give him what he wanted. Instead, you wasted 2 hours of his time stopping what you were doing to sell a $10 pair of sticks Had I been the manager, I’d have brought the customer into my own office and offered a cup of coffee while I scoured online to get him what he wanted.
I was stationed at Ft Jackson, SC at the time so I drove directly to the Ludwig factory in NC. I received a gracious tour of the facility and got to drool over Ringo’s drum set for a bit. They put me in direct contact with a salesman who took care of me. I love my Ludwigs. American made.
7
@I’m In I never thought I'd buy a guitar on Amazon, but I've now bought several, including high-end electrics (I prefer to play an acoustic before buying if it's high-end, but have bought a couple of moderately-priced acoustics on Amazon). I detest Guitar Center.
3
The relentless drive for “ cheaper “
always comes with a cost. The term “customer service “ has become a joke.
It bad enough that now we, find, scan and bag ourselves out of many brick and mortar stores with barely any human assistance, but now we can even place our own orders with the wholesaler. (Amazon)
The cost is not just the loss of those entry level and low wage jobs in retail, but the better paying jobs in construction, building maintenance, logistics, warehousing and distribution.
3
@Werephahckt
I think you are mistaken. The relentless drive is not for "cheaper"; it is for "convenience."
2
People will start shopping at local stores, and less with Amazon, when they realize Amazon has jacked their prices. I bought a drill the other day from Target that was $20 less on Amazon for the exact same sku. I only use Amazon for very difficult/unique things items. That being the case, I’m considering dropping my prime membership because it effectively costs me. For me however I live rural area so that’s holding me back. The next time you’re on Amazon, compare prices before clicking Order.
1
A short parable: once upon a time, a great deal of people went to stores to buy something they needed, not because they enjoyed it. It was the only option. Now it’s not. The End.
6
I buy almost 100% of everything I buy through Amazon. I know they are not socially responsible, and I know that they are destroying the brick and mortar stores. But you now what? They do what they do incredibly well. I can find anything I am looking for, in whatever size or color I am looking for. I can also track delivery and reorder an item from just one site. I don't have to remember where I got something, and run around town trying to find it. They were not the only company who had the opportunity to become the main internet store, but they did it in such a spectacular fashion that they become the most successful. Why should they not be rewarded for their business model?
5
You vote with your dollars. By buying so much from Amazon with such a blind faith, you’re saying you don’t care about their very unethical practices as long as it’s cheap.
1
@Jackson Chameleon Price has nothing to do with it. I am not looking to save a dollar, nor am I looking for immediate delivery. I am looking for convenience. I hate to drive, and hate the noise and stimulation of brick and mortar stores. It i far easier for me to just open my computer and order something as it occurs to me that I need it, than to keep a list and drag myself to a store where I will encounter rude or non-present sales help, and lack of inventory. And how do I know that the brick and mortar stores have more ethical practices? I would venture that Amazon's politics are more closely-aligned to mine that the conservative stores like WalMart and Target. I realize I'm comparing Amazon to other behemoths, but smaller, locally-owned store where I can find what I need simply do not exist where I am.
3
@Brian Nash
If I remember correctly, Amazon started with selling books, CDs and DVDs. It is probably still the leader in this field, and also the best choice for consumers.
However, it recently started a "Grocery and Gourmet Food" line. It does have things that my local supermarket will never have, e.g. Dijon Pain d'Epices, but at grossly inflated prices. If you want some "pain d'épices", just google "honey gingerbread" and you will find reliable on-line grocery stores that have it at affordable prices... that and a lot of other goodies that your supermarket probably does not have, and from all over the world too. Shopping on-line does not have to be from Amazon.
"According to a Morgan Stanley analysis, the typical order for one-day shipping is $8.32, and Amazon spends $10.59 to fulfill and ship it, meaning the company loses money on many sales".
With a big bank roll, isn't this the Chinese method of eliminating completion ?
6
For me the answer is easy. When I order from Amazon, I do it from the convenience of my computer, know immediately whether or not it's in stock, get it the next day or the day after, don't have to drive anywhere, don't have to put up with a salesperson stalking me, and don't have to wait in a long line to pay. AND, I almost always get a lower price.
I never give brick and mortars stores a second thought.
4
I'm of two minds on this issue. There's no denying the convenience of Amazon, Zappos, and other online retailers. I have a disabled son and it's very difficult to go into a store with him, so being able to shop online is a godsend. But the variety of items displayed by some search engine is never as big as in a real store, and I like trying on clothes and shoes and seeing them before I buy them. I hope stores survive!
1
I only use Amazon for things I wouldn't know where to look for in traditional stores, or items no store would devote space to. Opening their platform to niche sellers was a brilliant idea. The only way brick and mortar stores could compete is by having an Amazon-sized warehouse behind every storefront
1
Unbeatable selection. Lower prices. Faster delivery. Easy returns. No crowds. No car.
Dinosaurs must die. Go, Amazon, go!
6
I shop at a small locally owned store....they say hello when I come in...they explain what is on sale and ask if I need help. Everyone is always nice and helpful...they carry both consignment and new items...things I never see anywhere else and they are inexpensive. The store has cats, weird leggings and warm soft fleece to combat our winters...I love them! Amazon? No!
3
@Anne Albaugh
What do you shop for?
1
No mention is made to the cost to the environment of all these small, rush deliveries. If Amazon’s typical order is $8.32 and it costs them $10.59 to fulfill it, what is the cost to the environment, of that rush delivery? What is the carbon "footprint?"
Amazon is able to under-price and drive out the competition because it is effectively subsidized by society as a whole, which does not insist on carbon taxes, and which will pay the price in future environment disasters.
Carbon taxes are not the whole answer, but they could go a long way to protecting the environment, while creating a more level playing field for traditional retailers.
16
I'm not sure why the media is under the impression that Amazon is the only online store. I order many things online but rarely from Amazon. If I want something from a musical store, I can go to one of the stores in town but they don't carry anywhere near as much as a store in Indiana which supplies to major bands and recording studios. I order from a couple of bicycle stores because they carry things I can't get locally. And Amazon? They sell products on their site that the manufacturer quit making and replaced with a newer item. Or its counterfeit.
If I order online, I can literally spend an hour perusing their whole store without being followed by security or some person running up to help. I buy more if you let me walk up and down all of your aisles. Also, if I order online, I don't have to go to a store where everyone brings their dog inside which is common here in Seattle. And the online store can actually find their items. The other night I went to Home Depot to get an item that their website said was in stock and even where. Except it was not. And it took 2 employees half an hour to find it in their own store. I don't have to worry about screaming kids or getting the latest illness shopping online. I can do it in the middle of the night smoking a bowl listening to Zappa.
Malls? Great place to get shot. And the one near me is being emptied out because a hockey team is taking its place.
Online shopping is grandma's Sears and Roebuck catalogue.
7
My spirit animal.
1
I have made every effort not to order anything from Amazon as there is no sense in me struggling to pay bills by giving my hard earned money to the richest man in the world.
I have also found that I can go directly to the company for whatever I need and they often give a %age off on items and most of them give free shipping over a certain amount spent.
Amazon is having trouble with their workers who feel that they are being treated quite badly as to working conditions and that doesn't make me, and should not make others, comfortable adding to their problems by using a company that treats its workers unfairly.
2
Myself and several of my friends used to be keen Amazon shoppers - but no more.
Prices are all over the place, you don't know from whom you are actually purchasing, and deliveries can very from good to really bad.
The above, together with the number of fraudulent products now been promoted, has put us all off.
Amazon is now just a selling platform, with about as much integrity as a swap-meet.
6
Lots of great comments here - very few about saving money, almost all about convenience and selection. I do a lot of shopping online, but yesterday bought a $40 bike part from my SF REI store after buying it on their website. They were friendly and efficient. I could see their store inventory on their website. When I had a question, a customer service rep picked up the phone immediately, on a Sunday. They had just the part I wanted, and it was slightly cheaper than Amazon. They were as good as retail gets.
But - it took me one hour to drive across town, wait my turn in their small parking lot, wait in line in customer service, be told my order wasn't ready but I could pick up the part in the bike dept directly, do that, and get home. And that's an hour I won't get back. I've seen the future, and it's point, click, and await delivery.
2
I don’t think it’s necessarily related to Amazon. Department stores stopped differentiating themselves and have been hawking ever more expensive same old items. I stopped shopping for clothes at Nordstrom. The quality deteriorated, prices went up and it became more of the same old, same old. So, I stopped shopping there. I don’t buy clothes on Amazon but, I go to small brick and mortar boutiques that have initiative and taste to curate a unique collection that appeals to me.
I will buy other things at Amazon that are convenient for me because they are delivered home from highly reviewed fertilizers to unique gardening gloves that my local hardware stores don’t carry because they, too, are stuck in the past.
4
Start by making them pay full taxes. Then stop them from clogging up our cities and towns with double parked delivery vehicles so that we can get to brick and mortar stores.
13
My son needed a new cold weather coat. The aerostopale wool blend coat was too small. We searched on the internet first, thinking we would then buy it in a store. The search results kept being skewed to higher and higher priced coats. My husband said "Just go to mall, you'll find something." Sure, I thought, after the pretzel and books from B&N, but not what he was looking for. We bought the coat online without even going to a store, after racking our collective brains to find some retail brand we remembered that was trustworthy. And that is why online shopping is destroying the mall. There is no feeling that you will find what you are looking for, and in the search spend more on other stuff. We did not buy from Amazon. But, I wouldn't be surprised if the package came from an Amazon warehouse.
2
Who wants to walk thru 7 floors of Nordstroms?! I certainly don't. Sounds exhausting. There are so many other things I'd rather do than walk around some giant store looking at products I don't need. We shop locally AND on Amazon. Both. We figure out what we want, and then we go and get it. We love Amazon and our local shops. They both do a very good job of providing customer service.
6
Exercise like you described would do a lot of good for a lot of Americans.
“According to a Morgan Stanley analysis, the typical order for one-day shipping is $8.32, and Amazon spends $10.59 to fulfill and ship it, meaning the company loses money on many sales. “
Does that mean if we make ten different orders for .99 cents it will cost amazon almost $100!?!
2
Yes, but to get the free shipping, you will have paid your $119 yearly Prime membership.
1
They could win with superlative customer service which I haven't seen in stores like Macys in the last 10 years.
7
So many nice
family owned businesses
are disappearing.
I always make
an effort to buy from them.
It is already an emptier
world without book and
music stores.
13
I agree that it’s sad to see locally owned businesses going under. But I think it’s a good thing to get rid of so many chain stores. Closing brick-and-mortar stores will relieve traffic. One amazon truck can fit hundreds of packages that would otherwise mean hundreds of cars on the roads. And closing stores may mean less development. Maybe we could even tear down some of these stores and create more green space in our cities and suburbs.
3
Amazon actually isn’t all that great when it comes to pricing or deliveries. They take days to deliver items to me and half the time they are late. Target has better prices and better deals. I also like the grocery pickup at Walmart, which has the advantage of not requiring me to do battle with the automated checkout or be insulted by some employee demanding to see my receipt.
6
Sorry, department stores. Until you are located in areas outside of the major cities, I will continue to purchase from Amazon, unless I am shopping for furniture, which is the one thing I will not order online.
Why? Because my time is precious, and I will not shop in gridlocked cities who hate cars. I will not shop in Seattle under any circumstances because walking there with all the homeless people feels very unsafe.
5
We may as well admit it - there are more than a few of us who do not enjoy traipsing around a mall.
11
Web buying- be it amazon or anyone else- is killing not just small business, but also crippling the towns they are in and help to support. Web profits flow out of communities , not in. That growing gap will cripple. maim and eventually kill those communities.
So you want cheaper socks and under pants and you buy them on the web, just know what local and regional damage you are doing AND killing the tax base, job opportunities, local organizations that are funded by small business-little league, communities social groups etc.
The web retail companies are plantations systems - a few very wealthy owners and many underpaid workers ( and robots).
Enjoy your cheap socks and underwear ...just know the real price you are paying.
7
@ZEMAN
I can only repeat what others keep saying: it is not so much about price, it is mostly about convenience. Read the comments.
All your points well-taken but have Macy’s ever cared to improve product quality outside of brand name? I bought a pair of flannel pajamas about 8 or so years ago, the pant shrank six inches - became a capri pants in a season.
That is not an acceptable quality. Here in Boston, they sell junk. What do they expect?
4
Service, service, service. That’s how to beat Amazon. I guess department stores are finally coming around to that idea.
The last time I went into Macy’s in Downtown Brooklyn, the store was a mess, I had to hunt around for a staffed register, and then I stood in a slow-moving line. The sales associate could not have cared any less about my shopping experience than she did.
Improve staffing levels so there are enough people to keep shelves and racks neat and organized and enough people to staff registers. Train those employees be helpful. I shop online to avoid the hassle of going into a store—that says something right there.
12
@Practicalities - The Lowes that I have to occasionally deal with is the same. No one seems to care about anything and no one knows where anything is in their own store. So, I order something on their website and have it "shipped" to their store even though their own website says its in stock and on aisle 53. Problem is though, the store only has 35 aisles. And believe it or not, it still takes them upwards of 30 minutes to find the item at the pick-up desk when I arrive.
There are a few stores I shop online for simply because they do not have a branch anywhere nearby. One is a major music store that professionals like. Another are 2 bike shops. We have bike shops but they don't always carry the brands I am looking for and while they can order it, I can order it directly from the same manufacturer that they are going to order it from. Amazon is not the only company on the planet that has an online store front.
1
Sears should have been what amazon has become. They were the Amazon of a century ago; but they blew it. Or maybe I should say anti-trust regulators blew it by not maintaining any lanes or speed limits, and capitalism blew it by not realizing that the crush all competition model of capitalism is actually unhealthy for capitalism itself.
If allowed to do so, Amazon will indeed crush or maybe absorb all of its competition because no one will be able to compete with their eventual unpaid robot workforce. How that will leave them with enough customers to stay in business is anyone's guess.
Henry Ford, a century ago, figured out the importance of having a workforce that was paid well enough to be able to buy things. That doesn't seem to be on Jeff Bezos' agenda for his retail Borg creation.
9
@SB Amazon isn't CLOSE to being a monopoly. While they account for 49% of online sales (because they offer a vastly superior online experience), they account for only 5% of all retail sales.
3
Brick-and-mortar stores are most successful when the top managers spend time inside their stores. The great retailers Max Kohl, Herb Kohl, and Sidney Kohl were seen inside their food and department stores interacting with employees, customers, and vendors. These interactions gave them expert knowledge about the environment of the stores. That knowledge allowed them to be unusually successful retailers. One could dare say that the Max Kohl approach would compete strongly against the Amazon style business approach.
5
I definitely understand the importance of some communities supporting their local retailer. However, many retail establishments shoot themselves in the foot by encouraging disappointed shoppers to go online to their websites for the best prices. This always infuriates me and simply drives me into the arms of amazon. If traditional retailers are smart they can give amazon a run for the money at their own game. Simply promote their own online shopping establishments while shedding their parasitic brick and motor stores.
2
We use AMZN often... for routine orders it represents a breakthru for rural customers. The nearest city with "stores" ranges from 100 miles to twice that with no clear indication that they even have the stuff we need. Plus UPS/FedEx comes to the back door in a day or two. The biggest risk seems to be finding exactly the item/brand we need or returning it if need be. Everyone needs to be careful though, counterfeit products can be a big issue. Stuff that needs routine delivery, say detergent for instance, comes quarterly without any hassle at all. We still buy food locally or if we need to solve a difficult issue and are not sure how/what to buy we shop locally, especially if the staff have the expertise to solve the problem.
2
@Taoshum
I grew up on a backwater farm and our shopping was done through the Sears catalog. What excitement when the new one was delivered!
For people who do not drive (I don't) or who are more house bound or live, as I did once out in the woods ordering online is the only reasonable way to go.
2
Would it kill Amazon to actually pay some federal taxes in 2020?
49
Amazon should operate either only as a marketplace platform where many small business e-commerce merchants sell, or as a giant merchant itself only. Best would be that a behemoth marketplace like Amazon should not operate as a merchant and stick to its marketplace business, at which they are best.
On the other side, speaking of major retail brands those happen to be sinking more and more day after day, they should focus more on product development aspect of their business, and following the footsteps of Nardsrom, they should extend their partnership channels to small business e-commerce stores via providing dropshipping services to them.
Those big names, they should focus on what they are best.
2
Amazon is a very good thing that has happened for the consumers. I buy things on Amazon now and then, not everything but some things. I think the retailers need to up their game. Especially here in Australia. I have said in other posts as well, that Australia has an illusion of competition, there are 2 of everything and I believe it is deliberately setup to gouge consumers. When Costco was coming here, one of the big grocery chains tried everything to keep them out. I understand the shopping experience that exists at the large department stores but the consumer is also sensitive to price, especially in these lean times where salaries are, in reality, decreasing and prices of all things are increasing. I happened to see the cost price of a bottle of perfume and the retail price at David Jones store in Sydney and it was shocking: cost $30, retail $110. That is a lot. If Amazon can get the consumer a better price and the retailer loses, well, the retailer should not have been charging that much to begin with! Sorry retailer.
1
I shop on Amazon for convenience, for free shipping with Prime and for items that can't be easily found in stores. I never buy clothing without trying it on with the exception of a few store brands that I know will fit. Whenever possible I prefer to see the item I am buying in person so a lot of my shopping is done at our local mall as a first choice, plus I've always loved hanging out at malls to browse, eat, etc. I think the poor service at stores (and I've rarely encountered sales people that aren't friendly and helpful) is due to downsizing staff and instead of having adequate help on the floor, they are at counters for purchases where you stand in line like cattle.
3
Rents in major cities are absurdly high. often if you don't serve alcohol you already have a fight on your hands to survive. Apparently, the corporations that own retail properties would rather have them sit vacant than rent at more reasonable prices. That's not Amazon's fault.
Before the recession, if you went to a place like Home Depot, Best Buy or Micro Center there were plenty of employees on hand who were highly knowledgeable and interested. During the recession both quantity and quality of staff went down and has not recovered since. Again not Amazon's fault, and I don't know how much better is Home Depot compared to Amazon, each is a big faceless corporation.
Blaming Amazon alone, is to absolve many other expressions of corporate greed.
6
Oh when have we heard this lament before? When “department stores” became the latest convenient thing? And when before that?
2
It is still very hard to get a true sense of what clothes look like and feel like online. I can usually tell in a few seconds whether I like it and whether it might fit when seeing it in person. And in person I can try it on too to check for fit and comfort. No way that can be done easily online. The cost to send it to me, find that I don't like it or that it isn't the right size, send it back, and get something new sent is silly. Talk about the carbon footprint for the air courier and ground delivery for one item! Amazon makes sense for hard items, but we will rue the day our last option to physically touch and buy in-person disappears. But that terrible day is rapidly approaching, especially outside of the major urban areas where shop-based retail has already begun to completely disappear.
7
Being 6'3", I've NEVER been able to buy any clothing in brick and mortar stores. They don't stock it. I used to talk to store clerks about it, but they'd just shrug. And, now they are wondering why online shopping is taking over?
But both online and brick and mortar are based on the 'inventory' model for sales, so they both will be vulnerable to future technology inroads - such as intelligent androids sewing up clothing on the spot.
2
Profit margins are supposed to be low in an efficient marketplace. High revenues are a sign of a lack of competition or price fixing. The customer is the loser. Amazon has introduced true Capitalism to the retail market. And like it or not, we worship Capitalism here. We're not Sweden by a long shot. Bezos has said he would rather make a little money from a lot of people rather than a lot of money from a few. He is forcing businesses to race to the bottom rather than forcing their customers there. My local Honda dealership is a shining edifice of stainless steel and glass. An over-the-top display of wealth. Isn't that an indication that they are overcharging for their cars and service? That they and their "competitors" are tacitly keeping prices high and dividing the customer base between themselves? Amazon has broken that mentality in retail. If I know what I want, why can't I order a car directly from the factory and have it delivered to my house? Carvana is a start. We need an Amazon in the automobile industry.
3
The reason my husband shops on Amazon Prime is for two reasons and two reasons only - lower prices and faster service.
We were looking for three kids books the other week for a party a week away. Our local bookstore, which is actually a very large chain, did not carry the books in any of their local stores. They could order it, but it would come the day of the party.
We looked on Amazon Prime and not only were the books cheaper, but we were guaranteed delivery within 24 hours.
The cost savings wasn't the deal breaker for us but rather, receiving the package w/in 24 hours was.
If retail stores could compete with cost and delivery issues, THEN the playing field would be even. But not a lot of stores can lower their costs to the degree Amazon Prime can.
I'm not saying I totally support Amazon Prime because often times, I still shop at our local bookstore chain. I love that place. I love spending time in the place. But there is also a place for Amazon Prime. I just hope they do not become the ONLY source for shopping.
6
Until the playing field is leveled and Amazon has to pay federal taxes like brick and mortar retail establishments, the gap will continue to widen. Because Amazon is global and also a tech company, it has the ability to move its profits to overseas entities and employ tax strategies like the Irish Shuffle and use of post office box profit centers in other corporate tax havens. Unless the U.S. and other developed countries reach an agreement on how to treat multi national corporate profits, Amazon will "continue to swallow the retail industry.
8
Amazon now does pay all taxes as brick and mortar does. No longer is there an exclusion for local taxes for internet sales.
2
@Yoandel - True, but Amazon still gets away with being able to ship products to me that my local stores are not legally allowed to carry even though both have a Seattle address. I went to a hydro store one day to buy an insecticide I had read about online. The guy told me it was banned on the entire west coast. Amazon had it sent by mail to my mailbox in a couple of days. That kind of stuff is not fair to any business.
2
Sadly, poor customer service on the sales floor, coupled with product scarcity causes Amazon to win over brick and mortar stores. The convenience of online ordering 24x7 wins out.
7
Is There Any Way for Department Stores to Beat Amazon?
As things are currently constructed, no, there isn't; at least not for price-conscious shoppers who are comfortable sending back goods they decide were a poor choice.
I've been shopping almost exclusively online since 1997. While Amazon presently accounts for ~12% of my shopping dollars, it's a prime example of why shopping online is so convenient. And it's not just pricing; it's choice, availability, delivery, et al.
Mind you, it's not that there aren't issues. Amazon allows sellers of inferior knock-off products to piggy-back on their service. In its pursuit of maximal profits, Amazon is always playing catch-up with the sellers of fake and inferior products. Buyer beware has never been had greater currency than it does on today's Amazon.
I enjoy the “reader comments” after each article and this one is no exception. As I perused each comment, I thought of all the concerns expressed by media and the public regarding Walmart when it stormed into various communities across America destroying small businesses in large and small cities. Amazon no doubt has and continues to upset the retail status quo. And Mr. Bezos shows little sign of letting up.....he appears to be relentless in his pursuits to further create havoc and upend legacy businesses. I say hoorah for him...but then I also understand that Amazon’s day of recogning will come. There’s always a better solution to any business proposition.
2
Call me what you want, but these days I’m doing more and more shopping on Amazon. I’m getting more tired of going to stores as I have to waste time in traffic, the items I want (color, brand, size) is usually out of stock, some stores tend to be overcrowded in my area (Costco and Target, notably), and most of all the employee service is poor and usually ungrateful. I want to shop local and support local jobs, but when the people who run and work in those stores do not reciprocate my support and seem annoyed and ungrateful then I don’t see why I should continue to support them. I can usually wait a day or two for most of my shopping these days. Hence, I’m a loyal Amazon customer.
17
A new Wendy’s opened very near by. A drive thu customer complained the fries were cold and asked for a fresher order. When she received the new bag, she looked inside and found a ball of hair. Yikes! Entering the store, the employees scattered.
As reported on our on-line neighborhood chat line.
I want to support our locals, but this type of behavior is too common. IMO.
2
I walked into Kohl’s recently on a weekday morning to find many aisles completely impassable due to boxes, pallets, and racks. Fine for 3am when workers are stocking the shelves. Terrible when I want to get to the back of the store for an item.
I walked out. It will be a LONG time before I go back to Kohl’s. If ever.
I don’t want every clerk pasting on a phony smile and saying hello. I want to be able to get to the merchandise.
If your service isn’t better than Amazon, you’re dead in the water.
7
With the tight labor market, overnight stocking is a dying business model. People are reluctant to work those hours, certainly in the numbers that stores require and employers refuse to pay the premium necessary to influence more to do so. Target recently ended its stock practices during their closed hours.
3
Brick and mortar stores need to band together to promote the information that was outlined in an article on hardware stores this weekend in the Times: get the products you need, with help from experts, and you'll be more satisfied and won't have to buy it again after not being satisfied the first time.
1
Who cares whether Jeff Bezos or some other rich person wins this battle? Isn't the issue for consumers and employees of department stores or e-businesses, "what is best for the average American?"
Frankly I don't give a fig which rich guy forces the other into Chapter 11--they will get their golden parachute. When will the Times write an article about what is best for working and middle class employees or consumers?
That's what I'd like to read.
6
I was once a solid Macy's shopper, but lately, I am going to have to reevaluate. Recent trips to Macy's at Washington's Metro Center store have been disappointing because sales assistance has been scarce, the lower level looks tacky, crowded and unappealing, and worst of all, half the escalators are out of business at any given time. The Macy's store at nearby Pentagon City in Arlington, VA is not much better. I had high hopes for Macy's during a recent visit to is flagship Herald Square Store, but it was too big to locate anything in men's. On the higher end, Nordstrom is not much better in terms of sales assistance, and I was not thrilled with their pitiful selection in the men's department, either. Stores that continue to get my apparel dollar? Polo Ralph Lauren and Brooks Brothers, where I receive personalized service, and they represent a decent value when they have sales and promotions, which are more common now than in the past. Amazon is fine for electronics and streaming programs like The Man in the High Castle and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. I won't by clothing from Amazon, no way! I want to make sure what I buy fits, and if I buy from Polo and BB online, there is a physical store to make an exchange.
7
What? Kohl's will take Amazon returns--box them, pack them *and* ship them for you--with the hope that (maybe?) you'll buy something as you walk out of the decaying carcass of their retail stores? Wow. Why don't you just give Amazon the keys to all those stores, and let them take over everything?
Oh, wait...
4
Staffing their stores with pouty, ignorant minimum wage teenagers and surly adults unable to answer questions and unwilling to assist customers has produced nothing but customer frustration....and the death of retailers.
You have brought this on yourselves......but, don't pay attention to what your customers are saying.
20
Small businesses, starting with booksellers years ago, have been decimated. These businesses are a core value for the community, especially for small or mid-sized towns. The owners are a key component of the middle class that is been eviscerated . "Buy it on Amazon" has become an unfortunate mantra in too many situations, whether from online articles or in casual daily conversations.
2
I grew up in the Fifties in a neighborhood that within walking distance had a kosher butcher store, a couple of barber shops, a small appliance store, a toy store, two movie theaters, two pharmacies that sold comic books and made great milkshakes and cherry Cokes, a shop that fixed radios and TVs, a Greek deli , a large park full of trees to picnic under, a big outdoor swimming pool, a public library, tennis courts, a zoo with elephants (yes it was sad, but I liked them), a first rate elementary school, multiple churches and synagogues, a couple of liquor stores, a pool hall and a heavily trafficked bookie parlor. Plus you could walk out of your house any time of day and quickly find half-a-dozen guys to play basketball and touch football with.
And none of these had security guards at the front door or required passwords to get in.
A bus ride downtown, there were department stores with tailors that altered clothes, helped you pick out your clothes, taught you how to tie a bow tie and had little soundproof rooms where you could try out new records.
Amazon.com it was not.
Thank you G-d.
22
Those were the days.
Is that your point?
5
Just wait until all you amazon lovers have to return something and have to get three different customer service operators who can't understand you. And you can't understand them. As I had to the very last time I shopped there! The final operator I spoke with clearly spoke perfect English and told me, "I completely understand you'. We get that alot.
2
I shop a lot at Amazon and I’ve returned a number of items. It’s an easy process. I've never had to talk to anyone,
9
there's no need to talk to anyone when u make a return. it's all online and super-easy. takes less than a minute
4
@B Hill I've never had difficulty returning anything purchased from Amazon; it's essentially as simple as printing out a return label.
OTOH, at a brick and mortar store it usually involves standing in a long "customer service" (a misnomer if ever there was one) line, making sure you have the receipt, and then arguing with a store employee about whether the return is permitted.
Ideal is picking up an item in the store the same day it is ordered online. The retailer saves money; the customer receives the merchandise almost immediately and at no extra cost. Amazon Prime can't beat that, at least yet.
1
I dont understand it. Amazon has raised its prices out of competition with department stores. Amazon has also dropped brand name items so one doesnt know what these unknown items are, their quality, or sizing. If Amazon doesnt go back to their original beginnings, they are going to lose. Their shipping times have become very long for just regular shipping.
Why penalize shoppers if they dont sign up for Prime? Department stores really need to continue what they are doing i.e., good merchandise, good sales, and fast shipping.
5
If a foreign company was putting American entities out of business by selling at a loss in order to seize market share, they would typically have anti-dumping penalties imposed on them (such duties have existed here for over a century; the Antidumping Act of 1916 explicitly targets such "predatory intent").
But since Amazon is a domestic company rather than a foreign exporter selling here...
4
Why did it take Amazon to smarten everybody else up and wake them up from their lethargy?
3
Full disclosure, I’ve always hated shopping. I’m very rarely “just looking” - I know what I want, and I want to get it as painlessly as possible.
On the very rare occasions when I go to a brick-and-mortar store, I’m amazed at the wastefulness.
The parking lot, because of course everyone has to drive solo in an SUV to go shopping. The 12-foot-wide aisles inside, the ceiling 20 feet above my head but merchandise no higher than eye-level. The lights keeping everything so bright I need sunglasses.
An Amazon warehouse doesn’t need a huge parking lot, just a small one for its few human employees. Doesn’t need spacious aisles andcan stack stuff floor to ceiling. In the near future when the Amazon warehouse doesn’t need any human employees, it can turn off the lights and air conditioning too. And instead of a dozen people in one zip code driving a dozen cars to a shopping mall, one delivery van saves those dozen trips.
For the good of the planet, we should all try to reduce our shopping, stop buying all the junk we don’t need. (The most important R is the first, REDUCE.) But if you must shop, online is the ecological choice. Places to “go shopping” are largely unnecessary now. Raze that mall and plant some trees and grass instead.
11
In a recent sustainability forum, we were taught the first R is actually for Refuse. As in I really don't need that anyway.
8
Socrates allegedly was found laughing hysterically in the agora. When approached and asked “Why?” He said, I’m so amused by all this items that I have absolutely no use for.”
Save Earth.
3
As my local mall has filled with the same specialty stores that do not interest a 50 year old man I find I am once again enjoying department stores that have a variety of merchandise to browse. My teen daughter enjoys shopping at clothing stores. My mall has made improvements in being more diverse, such as gaming tables, but there is only so much to pull me off my Amazon Fire.
2
Amazon won the shopping war because they understood from the start what the internet could do. They invested billions in technology to perfect what they deliver. The idea that it's "job killing" is simply not founded in fact - it's a fiction. Luddites always make that argument every time when technology changes our lives and it's always wrong.
We're all better off for being able to buy things at last for reasonable prices. There's nothing stopping other large retailers - Walmart, Costco, Target, etc - from competing. The reason they can't is that they simply do not have a corporate culture that understands the way the the internet has disintermediated businesses of all kinds.
1
I buy very few items from Amazon. I have Prime for the video content. I occasionally buy records, books, and hard to find items such as soap dishes, silicone pouches for food storage, and knee braces.
I don't shop at department stores because the selection and customer service is awful. The Nordstrom near my house does not have the same selection that is available on the Nordstrom website.
Department stores are losing my business to smaller chains like Athleta and Loft. I can easily order items online, have them shipped to me, and then go to the brick and mortar store to return what I don't want. I sometimes shop at Uniqlo because it's quick and easy.
Who has time to browse and deal with crowds?
4
I want to buy from ACE--but my local ACE in Chicago is a hassle--so much is locked up in glass cases, even screwdrivers, I have to find a clerk to unlock the case for me, which is a task; then he or she stands over me while I shop and it's really just a total waste and lousy experience. My time is worth more. I hate Amazon for a lot of other reasons, but the bottom line is shopping is no fun any more no matter how you do it. Even the farmer's markets aren't what they used to be, but that's another bag of issues and frustration.
2
@Muddlerminnow ~
The ACE in Glenview is fine by me, even though it might be a bit more that the Lowes or Home Depot nearby. Especially with my bad right knee ...
Not much is locked up, but even at the one in Northbrook they follow me and offer service.
They have put locks on the bladed things, so maybe that's a liability issue thing.
But hey, let me know if you need 4 12 ga round phillips head 3" bolts with lock washers and nuts. I probably have them in the garage.
3
I don't think this is rocket science when it comes to beating Amazon selling apparel. No one I know, of any age, prefers buying clothes online; you can't feel and see the quality, you can't try them on, and if (as is the case 90% of the time) quality and fit are poor, you don't have to wait several days to find out, then shlep the losers to UPS, wasting all kinds of natural resources in the process. The only real draw is that Amazon has a larger selection. And so, for that matter, does each store that has a combined online and brick-and-mortar presence. But fast fashion is rapidly becoming old as well as grossly wasteful; market good (natural) materials, quality, a showroom that doesn't look like a rummage sale, and service, and watch people figure it out. They have already started to do so. I got the equivalent of fast fashion out of my system years ago, and now feel virtuous as well as less impoverished and better-dressed by buying quality that lasts for years.
3
Can’t say as I hate Amazon. A week after having my HVAC regularly serviced by the company that installed it years ago ever since my wife turned the thermostat on to get some heat. Nothing, so I called and for another $200 service charge someone comes the next day to check it out. Turns out switch on the little plastic battery operated thermostat was shot so in less than five minutes the guy installed a new one. When he gives me the bill for over $500 I’m shocked and ask how another cheap plastic battery operated thermostat can cost $300 so I type in the model number on Amazon and up pops the exact thing there for $75. The poor young man who installed it wasn’t to blame so I called his manager the next day to explain my findings and got a $150 refund which I guess now I’m obliged to spend at Amazon. I can see why brick and mortar hates them.
2
Having tried for years to buy from many other online retailers (and Amazon), here’s my analysis:
1. I know when stuff will arrive with Amazon but not with most others, and it’s always faster.
2. Amazon doesn’t always have the lowest price
3. I can (and do) look at actual real consumer reviews on Amazon and make purchasing decisions accordingly
4. Amazon wins hands down
4
I don’t ever buy anything from Amazon. I’m frankly surprised how many people who think they are socially responsible do. Amazon is like a job killing monstor which feeds on human beings while they sacrifice themselves to feed it. At what cost? Why must we have everything cheaper and faster? Look at what goes on in these “fullfillment centers.” We are now serving robots instead of the other way around, and the delivery drivers are causing deadly accidents in their rush to do their job. Is this what economic progress looks like?
249
@Martha
Agreed. But what about kids' toys and clothing? As a grandparent whose little ones live in another state, I find it's Amazon for those trendy toys or...nothing. Stores like Target barely bother to stock their shelves anymore.
12
@Martha not to mention a really large carbon footprint for all those delivery trucks
20
@Martha
Thank you for your post! So true on every point.
17
We buy most of our needs/gifts from Amazon and others. In fact we order our groceries online and pick them up. We have found that with snarly sales people, poor product selections, dirty stores, and more and more junk, etc. it is not worth the effort. The shopping thrill has long gone. People we would gifts for would prefer money anyways.
2
Women, single or for family members, do the most shopping right?
This is what is almost impossible to buy on Amazon and get it right the first time, unless you already know exactly what brand you want and what size (and they have it --- brand, size and also...color):
Bras
Panties
Briefs
Boxers
Nightgowns
Pajamas
Bath Robes
Jeans
Other Pants
Dresses
Suits
Men's Shirts (collared)
Shorts
Bathing Suits
And, there's more.
If Macy's wants us to shop there, then stop with the overcrowded departments (quantity does not mean quality or good fit). Nobody wants to spend 2 hours in the lingerie department plodding through 30 brands of bras and 75 different styles. Or 2 hours trying to find one nightgown that we want.
And, get rid of those "helpful" sales clerks who are really only there to promote a certain brand. We have all been fooled by them. Hire sales clerks who care about what we want --- what fits --- not selling a brand.
And, if I want a pair of jeans, or casual pants, I don't want to have to go to 7 different places on the floor. I understand that the designers/manufacturers want their "distinct" placements and displays. But, that does not benefit me, as a shopper. Jeans: all in one place. Other pants, all in one place. Arrange by style.....not designer.
Just a start.
13
I bet all those general stores across America weren't too happy when Sears started using rail and the Post Office selling directly to the customer, "Satisfaction guaranteed." I guess one difference is that soon there were others like Montgomery Wards, JC Penney, and Chicago Mailorder.
Amazon is huge because they are successful and they are successful because the people running the company are obviously very, very smart. A meritocratic outcome.
I understand the assorted concerns about their operation, but there's no going back.
I love Amazon. I do hate the packaging; I just got Leonard Cohen's post death album and it came in a box which then held the best cardboard LP shipping box I'd ever seen. Plus a few of those air pillows.
Also, too many small items come in those large bubble pack envelopes, which probably have a very low rate of recycling.
My only complaints. I recycle both the cardboard and the plastic envelopes.
2
You think you recycled it but no one is buying recycled plastics anymore so it probably ended up being burned or in a landfil anyways...
4
I have read a lot of these comments and was moved to write my own. So many people feel self satisfied that they spent a lot of time driving around and looking for something and finally found it to avoid shopping at Amazon. I ask, how can you recapture the time you wasted in traffic and going from store to store and perhaps not finding what you were looking for? You can never, never, never reclaim that wasted time. Shop at Amazon and discover that there is a lot more free time in your life. Thank you Amazon for a job well done! Online shopping is here to stay. It's progress and you can't unring the bell.
5
I recently went shopping with my daughter for her wedding dress. The shop had a variety of choices in a variety of sizes, or they could measure a customer to determine the correct size. Then you order your size. I have heard that there are also a few clothing stores with this model (although I wish there was one near me)--choose a style and color, figure out a size, order it to be delivered. If department stores had this model, then every size and color of every piece of clothing (or accessory or bedding or tableware) would be available to try on or touch, and if they had a warehouse with everything available, it could be shipped in just a couple of days. No running from store to store to find a color or size.
This article proves retailers are clueless. How many times have I looked online for something to go to the store to look at or pick up, yet the site is cumbersome, doesn't list everything, or might not be their site!
Hardware stores use a big chain's site, but don't carry what's online. Bad search engines showing unrelated items or minimal info or not items I want.
I use Amazon NOT just for cost and shipping. I use it to FIND items I need. I read reviews, click on items mentioned in reviews, learn and enjoy the process.
Go to a store and you'll find rude, uneducated employees (no answers to what would you use if ... where can I find that ... how do you use that?). Or items spread out which should be next to each other. Told to go to another part of store, and item not there. Nor employees to help you.
Plus as others mentioned, inventory is minimal. Did I mention clueless, apathetic employees?
Shopping is an op to learn and grow about products, find what you need and discover other items. Even if not for now or you, but to tell others.
It's not just about saving money. It's about making wise purchasing choices, getting only what you need, and not being ignored, insulted and demeaned.
Stores closing left and right in Santa Monica and West LA. Stores where I experienced what I wrote. Plus they are online illiterate and proud of it. We don't need no online.
I love Amazon. Life saver, money and time saver too. Just saying ...
12
I can never find a Harold Bloom book or Joseph Campbell in a brick and mortal bookstore. Forever about music in a store. Who sells Johnny Clegg albums but Amazon? Amazon is a blessing for those hard to get books. For immediate purchases such as food I order online Shoprite and have it ready to be picked up. Still need a physical store for immediate items such as car parts, medical items, see how clothes look and feel. On the other hand I’ll go to a store and look online for the same item and buy it if it is cheaper.
It boils down to choice and convenience. Really can’t say both are good nor bad. Retail and Amazon have positive and negative conditions.
5
Retail, malls, all of that has always been depressing, and I hardly ever step into them anymore. It's just too weird to partake in the shuffling, fatigue, money loss.
I shop almost exclusively on Etsy or at small stores. I would rather spend my money supporting the very cool network of artisans, trades people, and small businesses than I would the slave labor of another nation. (Does that make me a Trump supporter? Uh, no, just in case you paused there.) If I get packages, they are almost always UPS. Amazon does get some of my book business, some other lazy items, but they are as depressing as the malls now. No soul in any of it. In fact, my real goal is to stop shopping altogether!!
1
Sears,and Montgomery Ward were the Amazon of the early 20th century. Every one had access to a catalogue known as the "wish book." Amazon has simply created the modern version of these mail order stores. Amazon is a better business model. That is how capitalism works. Blockbuster did great until technology overtook them.
9
Ok, something to level the playing field:
All online retailers need to be forced by federal law, to give completely free returns, i.e. free return shipping and no 'restocking fees', for any reason whatsoever, including simple change of mind. This is law in EU, and is very sensible - you never saw the actual product before it was delivered, so you need a completely free return right.
6
You need to think this through more before posting such an idea. Think about how much waste (gas, traffic, not being able to resell opened goods) in the system you propose.
3
Well, what can you do if you go to the "sports" store and you can't find "tennis" shoes not even on display...
2
i worked at a mall in southern california for 6 years, at 2 separate department stores; J. W. Robinson's and Buffum's. I used to go to the mall on my days off too; breakfast at the Jewish Deli, look through the 2 bookstores in the mall and buy books, magazines, get my hair done at the hair salon. Then I might go to the movies, get something to eat afterward, and take the bus home, Little by little, the mall lost what drew me every week; the 2 bookstores lost their leases, and no replacements were made, the jewish deli, mexican restaraunt, british fish and chips place, the french crepe place, all did not get their leases renewed. The 2 stores I worked for no longer exist; 1 was replaced by a Nordstorm. Now the mall is basically a food court, with mostly Asian eateries. The owners of the mall are playing to the mostly Asian population, and catering to tour groups from China as well. I am handicapped, and the mall is too crowded; I have been knocked down twice by people in tour groups. No one helped me up, there is no security around, and the tour guides moved their group at a trot away from me. So, I shop Amazon, but miss department stores terribly..
4
Nearly ten years after I wrote 'Build a Brand Like Trader Joe's' the core message is still the single best anti-Amazon strategy, and TJ's is still the prototype for a store that will never even suffer from online erosion, much less be disrupted – as so many others have been.
Amazon's essential pitch is, you don't even have to put on pants to shop with us. The subtext is, you hate shopping; just buy with a few clicks and keep living your life.
Trader Joe's message is: Shopping is fun. You get out of the house, meet nice people who are happy to see you, and live an affordable little adventure.
In short, TJ's secret sauce is the one thing Amazon can't deliver: face-to-face contact in an age when America's suffering an epidemic of loneliness and social isolation.
12
Trader Joes used to be a fun place to shop. Now it is as harried as everywhere else, at least the two here in North Jersey. Parking is horrible. Also the inventory is not reliable. Last week they had our favorite soup; this week it is not on the shelf. As for branding, the whole Hawaiian shirt shtick has gotten old.
2
@Mark Gardiner Trader Joe's is a nightmare shopping experience, from its uniformly small parking lots to its crowded aisles to its over-rated product lines. I don't think I've stepped foot in one in over five years.
They have those clever "newsletters," ie, weekly shoppers, but those don't convince me to face the decidedly un-fun experience of actually going there.
1
Pretty soon “immediate gratification” will mean heading to your local store and buying it.
3
Amazon is a fantastic option for many things. I wanted a small turkey to cook for sandwiches as not hosting this year. Grocery stores seemed to only have larger turkeys so I thought I’ll look on Amazon Fresh. First time I’ve used Amazon Fresh. To my delight they had 10-12 lb turkey option delivered fresh. It just arrived. Clothes? Hit or miss. The quality and feel of fabric is important and I’ve had multiple misses online.
2
“That’s the meaning of life -trying to find a place for more stuff”-vintage George Carlin -how much more stuff do we need !
In addition to the convenience of getting things delivered quickly and just the enormous time it saves, retailers also earned this snubbing. Nearly all did absolutely nothing to keep customers loyal or happy. They acted like they were doing you a favor by helping you and generally had a bad attitude. After stupidly sending away all its manufacturing, leaving only service industries, American stores did a truly horrible job at delivering service. They still do a poor job from restaurants to high end product sales. They thought squeezing the last penny out of you makes profits higher but now they have no profits at all. Service is everything.
6
I stopped going to Kohl's for one reason only. They rarely had my size. I wear a Men's Medium. They have lots of XL, XXL, XXXL, but few, if any M.
1
Is there a way?
Yes.
Keep inventory. Keep inventory of things other than high margin store labels. Make checkout faster than the time it took to shop.
In other words, brick and mortar will not be able to compete.
Sorry.
2
Antitrust laws...at least if the US ever decided to apply them again. Both Amazon and many store chains need to be broken up.
4
Haven’t read all the comments, but I’ll bet few addressed the problem for retailers is “shrink” (aka, shop lifting). I read years ago, that 40% of shop lifting is from Employees.
Amazon may not have this problem.
2
Fancy air conditioned malls are soon going to be only good for their restaurants and fast food outlets, repair shops and a few stores for online retailers.
Amazon takes all the data from their online sellers and uses it to sell against those same sellers who are paying Amazon dearly to sell their products on their website. That fact just came out in Federal Court.
I buy NOTHING from Amazon and I am happy about it. I support local businesses to keep our local economy rolling.
Our local businesses pay Federal Tax and Property Taxes which keeps our community moving forward. Amazon on the other hand pays ZERO in Federal Taxes. A billion dollar company that pays less than the low wage worker at McDonalds.
By the time people figure Amazon out, it will be too, late for many retail chains. We need to support the businesses locally, who support our local economies.
9
I prefer to shop at a real store, local if at all possible. But it is getting harder and harder. I wanted a certain style of blouse and received a number of "targeted" ads from a large brick and mortar store that showed exactly what I was looking for. So, I lope off to the store (time and gas) and none of those blouses were in the store. Rarely do I find clothing in my size anymore at the actual store. I buy my jeans from Penny's but I have to get them online, they won't be in the store. I'm usually a size 8 and that is rarely in a store anymore.
I wanted a particular brand of cream that relieves leg cramping. After I tried 4 stores, I gave up and ordered it from Amazon. Got it the next day. That's why Amazon is winning and brick and mortar stores are not.
5
It's likely not possible for a "bricks and mortar" department store to compete head to head with Amazon. As another reader has commented, it's simply not possible for the conventional department to stock all of the sizes and variations for every one of the products they offer - while Amazon is able to do just that, because it has enormous amounts of warehouse space available all over the country.
The answer seems to be for bricks and mortar retail to concede the department store model to Amazon, and concentrate a smaller niche market instead - where it is possible to them to carry item for that particular product in stock.
But in addition, the bricks and mortar retailers need to find a way to make shopping in their stores a satisfying emotional experience - something which is much harder for an online retailer like Amazon to do.
1
As long as retailers refuse to keep items in stock, Amazon will win my business. There is no reason to go to a brick and mortar store that always out of the size and style of whatever I am seeking.
4
I am confident that none of the posters attacking Amazon and online retailers have an infirm or disabled family member, are exhausted from combining work and childcare, are embarrassed when buying incontinence or other items in a neighborhood store, struggle with putting large packages into taxis or are working multiple jobs. For such people online shopping is a blessing.
18
The article, interesting as it is, pits Department Stores v Amazon but overlooks the fact that small stores are doing well: they have the ability to build a rapport with customers, and quickly adapt to changing needs. I find that a nearby street here in Hove has done so time and again. A good amount of stock in a small area works better than having it strung out across several floors.
Could someone define service. Is it only shipping expediency and lower cost ? If someone is looking at an appliance, electronics or other item with a technical component what service does Amazon offer to guide your purchase? I prefer a well informed merchant with product expertise to assist my buying choices. The same rules apply to fashion also. An experienced store associate can provide quality advice on suitability and fit.
6
@DGB Well informed merchant? Keep dreaming. Their only goal is to separate you from your money.
3
These are some of the reasons I buy a lot from Amazon. 1. I sometimes find things on Amazon that I hoped existed and they do. For example, I wanted a special leash so I could attach it to a a loop around my waist and be able to walk my dog hands free. There it was and its been great. 2. If I want some item fast, I look on Amazon, find it and get it to my door in a day or two. 3. I can read comments about various items and decide which one seems the best. This is also helpful with books. 4. The prices seem very reasonable for many items particularly since I don't have to drive somewhere to get them. 5. I have an Amazon credit card which gives me the opportunity to buy things with the credit card rebate.
3
@Cordell Overgaard
I look at Amazon as a source of time. Time that I don't have to waste driving somewhere and looking for something I might or might not find at that store. I drive less, save wear and tear on my car and use less gas. That is a win-win for me and I thank Amazon for giving more time to do the things I enjoy more than shopping!!!
For people who complain about Amazon, get used to progress, it isn't going away.
4
I avoid Amazon for the most part now because of how overrun the site has become with cheap Chinese products and inflated reviews. There’s no quality control and you have to be very careful of who the seller is when ordering. If there’s a problem, good luck getting it solved expediently. It’s very difficult to contact Amazon’s customer support, and the prices really aren’t very good anymore. I gave up my Prime membership a few months ago and have no plans to go back. Now I try to order through stores that appear in my airline’s shopping portal. Most of what I need can be ordered online and picked up in store, and I collect points along the way.
The retail experience isn’t great, but the “convenience” that Amazon supposedly provides isn’t doing anyone favors in the long run. I’ll settle for a happy medium. And I fully support the focused online retailers that continue to pop up (e.g. - Allbird, Everlane, etc.). More of that please.
3
Fascinating article. Amazon has multiple sources of revenue (and profit) as pointed out. It has a superb marketplace for 3rd party sellers (which accounts for 50+ of sales). It offers clothing, shoes, and jewelry - (33.4 million products sold by Amazon and the Marketplace). Competitive prices and next day delivery. Hassle free returns. Traditional retailers have to think very hard to compete. Kohl's accepting returns seems like a great play ... for Amazon.
2
McGuckins. Anyone who has ever been to Boulder probably knows this “hardware” store. It is locally owned and an example of what retail should be. They stock just about anything you would want in a hardware store and more. The staff knows where everything is and are amazing. I have taken in a broken thingy and just handed it to a clerk and they find me a new one. Sure you might pay less somewhere else but what is your time worth? McGuckins is thriving because they provide exactly what customers want and that is what other retail needs to do to compete with Amazon. Oh yes. While I’m picking up that thingy I might just pick up a new cutting board or some dog food as well since I’m already there.
2
What’s so great about big box retail anyway?
I hate driving in traffic, I hate parking lots, and I hate listening to piped in music in large, empty spaces.
Selection is often poor, sales clerks often non-existent or unknowledgeable. Big box retail is like a warehouse without the charm. But I do like Costco.
I love small, local, owner-operated retail, restaurants, and live theater, all of which I support with my dollars.
I think Jeff Bezos’ wealth is obscene, but that could be fixed by sensible tax policy.
Amazon has built an amazing business, providing value superior to bog box retail.
7
I'm surprised anybody (successfully) buys clothes/shoes online. I've tried several times and always had to return everything. Some things you just need to try on or have tailored and Amazon will never be able to do that.
1
It's amazing how capitalism has allowed innovation to flourish even in the seemingly dull retail space.
Retailers that became stagnant over the last several decades now have to contend with increasing cut throat competition from tech-savy companies like Amazon.
2
These companies literally had decades to prepare and bring innovation but didn’t . Instead they were happy to rest on their laurels while the innovators busted their backs and actually lost money until the tide turn. They laughed at Amazon at first, and now they cry foul ? They deserve no sympathy.
2
Amazon isn’t innovative as people think, they are basically Sears catalogue for the computer age. The difference is traditional retailers like Walmart weren’t given the same long leash that Amazon had from shareholders to compete. Amazon only recently began making a profit from their retail operations. If Walmart reported earnings like that for even a quarter it’s share price would drop like a stone. As a result Amazon was able to undercut main street with Wall Street’s permission because Wall Street knew the end game.
2
I have very mixed feelings about amazon, but the convenience factor is so tempting for some items. For example, recently I needed a replacement seal/gasket for my toilet. I ordered it through amazon, and I avoided the hassle of driving, parking, searching for appropriate store aisles, shuffling through dozens of seals similar to the one I actually needed, waiting in checkout lines, etc.
1
The list of places I won't spend money gets longer every day and Amazon is near the top. Just listening to Bezos talk about his space program was enough to gag me. Running a successful mail order business doesn't mean you have the right to rule the world and live forever. What is wrong with these people at the top?
7
I like Macy's, because they have a good online presence, take returns without fuss, and compete on price with Amazon. I like Amazon too for the convenience, but I know they are vultures, so I try to support other retailers that offer good service whenever possible.
2
My wife loves to shop. It's one of her hobbies. She loves a deal. Macy's is a favorite destination, probably Eileen Fisher related, but wow are they unbelievably confused. It's entertaining at times, kind of like dealing with the new IRS, but something is backward in Macys back office. A lot of customers don't have my twisted sense of humor, all they want is fast fast fast and cheap cheap cheap, and I am a Costco member, so I'm not promoting the luddite position here, but penny wise and pound foolish might apply to your community and quality of life.
Too much stuff everywhere, on Amazon and in stores... just too much stuff!
12
Maybe we just don't need to buy so much stuff.
28
This article, like sadly many, attacks Amazon while giving little or no mention to the fact that Walmart and Target do the same things and with vastly more retail locations. Since when was low-paying, Union -busting, small town retail-destroying, right wing-financing Walmart the good guy?
6
I am buying my father a soundbar for Christmas. On Amazon I search for soundbars, narrow down based on certain features, and look at the reviews of the ones that seem the best (are they easy to set up? Do they "stick" to the wifi well?). At the Best Buy store I have to pull up the same Amazon app on my phone and there is a good chance the "best" item for me won't be in stock. Shopping on Amazon results in me making better, more informed choices.
3
The last time I was in the King of Prussia mall outside of Philadelphia was when my daughter was having a luncheon. She joked that as they would be eating, I would be shopping on Amazon on my laptop instead of in the mall.
She was right.
1
I would venture that the culture of privacy and isolation is at play. People have become far, far less publicly minded, and have become more privately oriented. Staying at home, near their computers and televisions, usually without even knowing their own neighbors. The ability to shop from home fits right into this trend.
5
Am I the only one who finds Amazon billing a major hassle? When I get my credit card statement it sometimes is difficult to verify charges from Amazon against my credit card bill. Since I save my receipt from brick and mortar stores the reconciliation of charges on my credit card are much easier with brick and mortar stores. That alone makes me hesitant to shop on Amazon.
1
With respect, you can do this very easily by looking at the Orders section of your Amazon account. Also if you use the no fee Amazon credit card, you will save 5 per cent. Happy Thanksgiving
7
Shopping at a Mall in person is now difficult and exhausting..
Also your limited to what’s on hand., And in Dan Francisco look to pay $40 to park..
Our local Mall has also been taken over by young thugs (true story)
4
Just visited Macys to buy a pair of Levi’s. They didn’t have my size. The big box stores destroyed mom and pop operations, now the shoe is on the other foot. Something will replace amazon,the question is what’s next.
3
I despise retail shopping and love Amazon and eBay. I have no love lost for malls, shopping centers, etc. Amazon is cheap and efficient, they are an astounding company and we are lucky to have them. This anti amazon trend is lunacy, I hope they keep innovating and delivering new product solutions.
6
I just turned 70 - so, I know shopping at these department stores was an enriching experience.
I loved Neiman Marcus because of its service.
Sadly, the department stores over the years - did exactly the opposite to keep customers coming.
They cut back on service where it now hardly exists.
I remember in Houston - the same clerk served me for almost 2 years - and then, it was all gone. - and that was long before Amazon.
Some of these folks at the top made wrong decisions from which they may never recover. Consumer is fickle and once you lose a customer - hard to get him back.
Something that they say about reputation - lose it once - and lose it for ever.
I was in DC for the Fourth - and went to the Macy's that I had remembered.
It was like a ghost town - devoid of customers and sales folks.
If that's what a customer faces - he might as well look at the screen and do hassle free shopping.
For life of me - I don't understand why these stores don't copy Amazon website.
I would rather buy my clothes on Macy's or Neiman Marcus website than Amazon. But there is just no comparison.
What do they say?
Imitation is the best form of flattery.
4
I shop at Amazon as a last resort for hard to find items. For clothing I browse Macy's and Century 21 first and if I meet the free shipping threshold, no brainer, if not I have shipped to the store for free and my wife doesn't mind picking it up for me.
Frustrating when you check the store's website for availability only to find it out of stock on arrival. I did go 5 for 5 recently at Home Depot, they had all 5 items I needed in stock.
The problem with physically going to stores to purchase an item is that it is exhausting! For instance, I was looking for blazers. I go to a department store and blazers are scattered in multiple departments. I go online an type in "blazers" and get a great selection of items narrowed down to my filters, by color size, fabric etc. So why bother going to the store when i can shop in the comfort of my home and target the items I am looking for online?
5
Don't feel sorry for the retailers. The in-store experience has been deteriorating for ages, and retailers don't seem to have a clue about how to improve it in the digital age. Ideally, you'd go to a store for face-to-face interaction with a knowledgeable and helpful salesperson, but that's becoming more and more rare as short-staffing, workers unfamiliar with the products, customer-unfriendly policies and other pressures degrade the experience. Stores and malls are so obsessed with $/sq ft that they become garish, headache-inducing spaces that seem to be shouting at you all the time, making it hard to think about what you really need and make sensible purchase decisions. I can't stand to be in them anymore, Amazon may have its faults, and its dangers, but the retail industry was killing itself long before that. The last line of the article says investors have lost patience with stores; consumers have lost patience a long time ago.
8
The department stores have to put some pressure on their fashion suppliers. Many times, I have found something I liked, only to find out that it couldn’t be altered to fit.
For clothes now, I shop at a small number of good quality stores that can handle the tailoring. For anything generic, online is easier, cheaper and generally better.
1
When customer loyalty becomes a zero sum game, how will any retailer survive?
4
If I am buying clothes, I need to touch it and try it on. And because I don’t have much time to shop anymore, I rarely go into a clothing store. Money saved for me! But for everything else, there is online shopping which for me includes Amazon. I don’t exclusively shop at Amazon because sometimes the price is cheaper online at Hudson’s Bay (a Canadian department store) or Best Buy. Sometimes I don’t shop at Amazon because the store I shop at has a rewards program which I like (Indigo books). All three stores I just mentioned ship as quickly or almost as quickly as Amazon. All three stores have a return policy as easy as Amazon. I do, however, shop at Amazon a lot. Amazon is great for every day items for odd things like a certain type of piano book, fun party supplies or a refrigerator filter that I need. Sometimes I order in the morning and by the evening the package has arrived at the door. What I like is how Amazon has forced retailers to up their game. What I love the most about shopping online is the time savings - how I can be in my pyjamas and in a matter of seconds I can take care of my shopping needs.
1
I will shop at department stores when they 1) have competitive prices, and 2) hire clerks that are knowledgeable.
2
Over the last few years I have started to dislike Amazon and only shop there if forced to. There are some products that I can only get on-line and I order things for Christmas for the family because they helpfully send me links for the very specific items they want. Otherwise I try to shop in real stores since I like to try things on and see the colors and cuts before I buy. Also, I noticed that Amazon has begun raising prices on items if you've looked at them several times without buying. And their prices are no longer the best- I can usually find things in a store for less. Their grocery items are obscenely overpriced. I would say 90% of the clothing or shoes I have ordered online out of desperation are returned. If retail wants to compete with Amazon, they need to have a wide variety of appealing merchandise- I went to Macy's looking for grey dress pants and the only dress pants they had were 37 different brands/styles of black pants. They need to carry merchandise that is designed for various age groups- we are not all 30 year olds living in urban lofts and we want things in different colors and styles. Stores need to have better quality and fit- no more $80 100% polyester tops with dangling threads, puckered seams and pulls and so low cut that it's impossible to comfortably bend over. I am lucky enough to live near a real family owned department store and will go there just to see what's new and I always find something.
4
We are clearly spoiled and these are selfish, first-world problems. But, I find myself appalled at the idea of waiting in line to pay a retailer for goods. If there's one part of the exchange that matters to the retailer, it's getting my money. The more time I have to stand in line and re-consider my purchase, or get frustrated with time I'm wasting, the more likely I am to just walk out; which I have done on many occasions.
11
Yes, there is a way. Get people off line and into the stores themselves. I read "On the Clock" which features a description of working for an Amazon fulfillment center. I haven't ordered from Amazon since.
4
@Mary A I worked retail for 65 years, making between $3.25-5.50 an hour(1980's) I have neighbors working in the Amazon fulfillment center; their starting pay was $13.25 @ hour...
1
@Mary A Correction:A I worked retail for 6 years, making between $3.25-5.50 an hour(1980's) I have neighbors working in the Amazon fulfillment center; their starting pay was $13.25 @ hour...
Ticketmast used to be a great place to one stop shop for entertainment tickets
Now it’s infested with Bot buyers And tickets show up on reseller sites ( often controlled by ticketmaster)
Amazon will completely dominate and then when we have no alternatives, the consumer abuse will begin in earnest
Amazon is great for what it is, but it can not be allowed to dominate the way it has been
6
Have recently switched to Amazon for relief from the following:
Driving
Parking
Parking AGAIN
Not my size and/or weird color
Lines of customers
Can’t find salesperson
Found salesperson, but they have no idea what I’m talking about. Example: went to big box home supply store for an extension cord with an on-off switch on it. No fewer than four (!!!) salespeople had no idea what I was talking about. Finally, one person said, “Oh yeah; you gotta but that from our online store. We don’t carry them in-house.” After fighting evening traffic, made it home and ordered from Amazon for 50% less than I thought I’d have to pay. Free delivery and returns as well.
...So that’s it in a nutshell.
22
Amazon delivers, aside from the low prices. Americans are becoming lazy with shopping, no traffic, no crowds, and no hassle!
@rocketsoles Amazon delivers products you have to return because they are factory seconds, shoddy merchandise shipped in from China, or crushing small businesses by copying their goods. Disgusted by their behavior and people need to wake up and be aware of this.
4
Wow. If they ever do a Modern Day Raiders of the Lost Ark remake I know where they will "hide" the ark at the end.
Shop local!
4
@StrongIsland How can one shop local for clothing? how to shop local for cleaning supplies, toilet paper, laundry detergent? Most retail stores are stocked with non-local stuff. Food can be local, yes.
I buy off season sport jacket at deep discount at Amazon. Feeler blade for my almost extinct Atra delivers by Amazon. Amazon follows the dictum "customer is always right".
2
After people are gone, extinct,
products from China will still be here,
moved and shipped by Amazon robots
and delivered by Amazon drones.
Until they run out of coal-fired electrical power.
2
A few folks have commented on how retail customer service is not what it once was. Thing is, you have to hire nice people to be nice to the customers. That is not possible in today's America.
16
I'm 61 years old, and I don't ever remember a time when in-store shopping was enjoyable, or just shopping for that matter. Maybe, online shopping is popular primarily because it reduces something that many (not all) of us have found rather unpleasant to do our entire lives - go to the store and shop.
3
Google is the wild west, strong man rules, true buyer beware.
Amazon is a bazaar, barely curated with inconsistent quality and too numerous scams to watch.
Buying from a names store is a curated experience, products you want from a place you know (and respect/trust)
Store are not doing a good enough job explaining the differences and expanding the scope of the offerings - except maybe Target and Walmart. The other better catch up.
2
Many retail clothing chains have the problem of central planning. I'm in Michigan. Many of the stores in Jackson, have the same items as Lansing, and the same items as Grand Rapids, etc... If the buyer makes a bad choice for the season's fashions. The chain has nothing to offer me for months. Never comes up with Amazon. Same issue with Barnes and Noble, very little local flavor or local selection.
4
The fight is about efficiency.
For example, we are told that we should support jobs by using a human cashier rather than self checkout. However, the self checkout is fast and demonstrates that in many cases there is no value added by a cashier. In such a case having a cashier reduces the efficiency of the transaction.
The question relating to Amazon is whether it is more efficient (for the overall economy and ecosystem) for them to deliver or for me to visit stores.
1
Reality Check the quality of on line shopping is worse ever been .Price of shopping on line great but beware ebay prices best.
No
the consumer behavior has been altered over the past 6 years
So, the answer is No
2
For a long time, I've been a big fan/customer of Amazon's. But, no longer. Amazon's interface has become bloated with "sponsored" products and Amazon's "recommendations" -- both of which, presumably, are being pushed aggressively by Amazon because they'll yield a higher profit for Amazon. Their "marketplace" has become overrun with cheap, poorly made and/or counterfeit products from China. Sellers increasingly don't properly fulfill orders and are difficult to deal with for returns/refunds. Amazon's own delivery service (not UPS) is terrible -- product's don't show up, are mysteriously delayed, or -- and this has actually happened to me several times -- Amazon's delivery people simply throw the boxes on my front yard, on my driveway, or even into the bushes. And, to top it all off, I'm now seeing a plethora of Amazon delivery trucks in my area -- and, invariably, their drivers are driving well above the speed limit, dangerously tailgating other vehicles, and aggressively jumping back and forth between lanes.
I want to buy products made in the US or the EU. But, Amazon's interface doesn't allow you to filter for that. I want to buy products from sellers who are highly rated. Nope, can't filter for that. And, I want to search for products free of Amazon's pushing of sponsored products and recommendations. Nope, not possible either.
There's actually an opportunity for a competitor here, despite what people might think. I'm certainly ready to take my business elsewhere.
19
@fact or friction Amazon forces sellers to use sponsored ads to be seen. If you are a small good seller the only way you get exposure is paying for sponsored ads, Amazon still hides us behind their products and FBA products.
Amazon choice? Don’t even go there! These are products only in their warehouses. Amazon hides good products from small sellers who ship on their own.
2
Amazon is just so good at what it does. I hate shopping. I work full time, go to grad school, am a wife, a mother, and step mother. If I need something, rather than take time driving to multiple stores to maybe find what I need, I can place an order and have it in days.I feel guilty, but I don't know the solution. There simply aren't enough hours in the day, and the ease of getting what I need through Amazon frees up some time for things more important for me. Like reading a book to my son, taking the dog for a walk, or getting sleep.
5
When I wanted to buy a pair of Levi’s jeans this week in a particular size, style and color, Amazon had the most and best choices available. Based on this, Amazon will continue chipping away at department store sales.
3
My spend with Amazon so far this year is $50,000. I'll probably add another $10,000 to that before year's end. Probably 95% of that is equipment and parts that I use and sell in my business (I.T. consulting). The other 5% is personal use.
Very nearly every computer, device, and the myriad other parts I buy is not carried locally. Or they it is, the store is out of stock. Amazon is one-stop-shopping for very nearly everything I need -- rarely I have to use another technology vendor.
It saves me substantial time and money.
I both love and hate what Amazon has become. What a conundrum.
1
Are you serious ?
1
Amazon provides one thing extremely well: convenience. They have mastered fulfillment and logistics.
But there are downsides to Amazon as well, and brick and mortar retailers can take advantage of this. Amazon does not stand behind much of what is sold on their web site by third parties; counterfeit goods, misrepresentation, products which do not function as advertised, and products which do not meet safety standards are real problems. The WSJ has covered these issues extensively.
Returns to Amazon are usually easy for products marked "sold by Amazon," but not so for third party sellers. Customers must often pay return shipping costs, which can exceed the cost of the product, or may not be able to return items at all.
The company's customer service is often lacking.
There's something to be said for looking at many items personally and to trying on clothing prior to purchase, which are not possible on Amazon.
And, I'll bet Amazon is not as concerned about privacy as they should be.
I sometimes appreciate Amazon's convenience myself, but I'm sure hoping brick and mortar stores succeed as well. I think that with skillful management they can.
7
Department stores have an advantage when it comes to clothing. You can try things on and see how they fit. Any thing else I mostly prefer to find it online. Years ago I might have dragged myself to six different stores and never found the exact material, color or dimensions for the item I had in mind. Today I can search hundreds of items and I usually find what will suit. My mom often asks me to find a skein of yarn to finish an item she started using some leftovers she was given or purchased. I can usually fin d the exact match. Years ago she would have had to make do with something close.
1
The issue you don't mention is that how we dress has changed dramatically. That change has decimated the bread and butter of department stores: clothing and especially clothes for work. Tailored dresses, dress slacks and skirts and blouses for women and suits and dress slacks for men need to be tried on unless you really enjoy going to the post office or UPS or FEDex to return things. But who wears that stuff anymore except for lawyers? Most of us wear pretty casual clothes to work these days. Once you know your sizes in a brand of jeans or sweaters or tops you have no need to go try things on. Hoodies sizing is pretty forgiving. Interestingly shoes were the first that offered free returns because shoes still vary a lot. I used to wear tailored suits and dresses to work; now the people who do the job I used to do wear slacks that have spandex in them and simple tops. I have two types of clothes in my closet now: casual plus a small number of dressier things that are mainly looser boho chic that I wear with my better jeans. No need to wade through a Macy's. Casual things are mostly online purchases; dressier are bought in small boutiques.
27
I'm a retired retail exec. The traditional retailers, i.e.Kohls and Macys, can't win. Mmmm, let's see... do I want to drive to the mall, park, search through messy racks looking for sizes, then search for a non-existant sales associate to ring up my purchase? OR, do I want to click on a button and have the perfect size/color/competitively priced item shipped to my house in a day or two? Amaon's private label is terrrific. As is Zara's. The discount websites ruelala, gilt and amuze are great for discounted high end. I do believe that Walmart, Marshalls and Target are stepping up their game-- they will survive.
5
@FB Everything I have tried from Amazons private label brands have been poorly made products from China. I will not shop any of their products as I don’t not need my life to be Amazon.
In fact we just pulled the plug on Alexa, and will be dumping a Prime. No longer feeding the Goliath. I believe in small companies trying to make it big. No one company should be able to control and ruin retail like Amazon.
7
To understand the direction of retailing in America (goods or services) is headed all you have to do is ask yourself one simple question:
On the last big vacation you took did you book your flights, rooms and rental car through a local bricks and mortar travel agency?
4
Headline says it all. Customers are buying, but from increasingly limited corporate entities. Private businesses on the decline, and where is this all headed with billionaire presidents, arranging tax laws in favor of their billionaire biz buddies?
.0001% will have all the dough. The rest of us will be indentured consumer/servants with just enough to make the credit card payments.
BTW: Warren ‘20
9
After waiting a month for a package of two sweaters I bought online at Macy's, I have considerably less hope for department stores than I did a short while ago. I'd certainly welcome brick-and-mortar department stores that sell good quality, interesting clothes from Not China, as Amazon isn't doing an adequate job there. But in terms of online sales and delivery, Amazon rules, and online department stores are still fumbling around. Macy's has boosted its customer service even further down, by sending me conflicting messages about those sweaters, and confusing a cancelled order with one that's still supposedly en route. What a mess!
One used to go to a store, Sears or Macy’s for example, and get whatever one was looking for, whether it was a particular color of paint, decent quality curtains, or just the right item of clothing in the color and size one was looking for.
No more. It is very hard these days to walk into a retail outlet and find what one has in mind.
Amazon and other online retailers, however, are likely to have it and to promise swift delivery on it.
Until recently, I did try the brick and mortar places first, but I have mostly given up.
3
Amazon has morphed from a great company into an unpredictable flea market. You cannot be sure of whether it's fake, how it was shipped/stored prior to sale, or what the quality. Merchandise is not vetted by a buyer and there is no consistency.
As much as I love the convenience of Amazon, the quality of their product has eroded past the point of acceptance for me. I use it only for Amazon Prime TV shows and Kindle books now. Shame, because I used to be a GREAT customer.
14
@Garlic Yum
Amen. Amazon has ruined itself with cheap good from China, counterfeit goods, fake reviews. It’s so unfortunate to the good sellers on the website who have watched the quick demise of once a reliable shopping site. It’s horrific that you can’t even understand the language written underneath the items. Amazon just wants to keep their FBA fulfillment center filled - this will come at great cost when customers turn away.
Target anyone?
3
@Garlic Yum! I bought an I pad through Amazon.
Several years later it stopped working and would not let me log in. Turned out Apple had sent a security update to disable access to bogus I pads . Amazon said my order was filled by a third party and they were not responsible for the fact that mine was not legit. Got no help from Amazon and the third party was long out of business. I only buy from Amazon if it is not possible to get what I want anywhere else even if it costs me more.
6
@joanne You think products in their fulfillment centers are legit. NOPE! Filled with counterfeit and shoddy goods.
Amazon is responsible for that counterfeit product.
3
Why?
Simple, too much over head.
Demand is up, clients are buying and spending money like it was free.
But the rent is through the roof, and thanks to Liberals, the salaries are as well.
A little or large company that was making a margin of 1-5% of profit (as it is in most business), can see that eroded with a rent that is unsustainable, and salaries for every one that are not commensurate with the amount of money the company is making.
Add mandatory Obama Care to all that, and your 1-5% profit becomes a negative number, resulting on insolvency.
Amazon handled it the way McD and BK did as well - replaced people with machines. Robots to handle the inventory and shipping, kiosks that take your order and money.
It's a trend, and only the big guys can afford it. The little guy quietly closes up shop.
Well done Liberals, good going.
1
@AutumnLeaf sorry you lost me, what is liberal about any of that ?
You have to have health care, whether you pay it to Obama care or a private insurer or out of pocket, it’s a zero sum game
5
Shopping for clothes on Amazon is not so easy. My wife returns at least half of what she buys online. I'm not sure how good a model that is for Amazon. Do they count on people forgetting? Or are people settling for ill fitting clothes?
She prefers department stores for clothes - albeit higher end ones - Lord and Taylor and Nordstrom's. Better clothes last longer so staying with classics works well for her.
I agree that the shopping experience in other stores has degraded substantially.
7
Over 25 years ago, I was hired to be the 'Friendliness Trainer' for a new Lord and Taylor in NJ.
I had a week's worth of training, and then all new employees had their training with me. Besides learning the register, we had hours of discussions on how to help people, ways to soften angry customers, and a liberal return policy, no questions asked.
In the beginning, that store had the highest sales/sq ft in the chain. I felt proud to help the staff work to find customers what they needed, and appreciated all of the positive comments. We also had 'secret shoppers' hired by L & T whose aim was to see the effectiveness of the sales people and rate them. Everything worked like a well oiled machine.
Over time, staffing changed, the friendliness program was dropped, and the returns policy became more stringent. Salespeople were overworked, the sales floor cut back hours,
and hiring high quality people seemed to lessen.
As I walked through the store one last time this June before moving, there were still a few people I recognized from the 1990's. Within the last few months, I read that the store will be closing. It was a great store 25 years ago, and I feel for the long time loyal employees that will be out of work soon.
I don't know what the answer is, but the habits of salespeople
may be part of the reason people shop online.
23
It's my belief that many consumers still prefer to purchase clothing after they have tried it on. But so many department store fitting rooms remain the box-like cubicles of 50 years ago. Retailers should increase the size, install good lighting along with plenty of mirrors and offer a pleasant seating area for friends and family. A feeling of gracious comfort would result in ambiance that can't be matched by Amazon.
Chico's is a smaller retailer that has figured it out. The big stores should take notice.
11
In my experience, Chico’s also has great sales women who are well trained and very skilled at “seeing” your size and recommending winning outfits.
1
Starting five years ago when Amazon was still sort of new and growing, I continued to go to brick and mortar stores. In the comments section nobody mentioned the reason I am now sold on Amazon. Many, many times when I went to the brick and mortar stores, I found what I wanted only to be told they did not have it in my size or it was out of stock and back-ordered! This never happens on Amazon. I realize there is a space problem for brick and mortar stores, but Amazon's warehouses have no space problems and have everything they sell in stock and in their range of sizes.
113
@Richard Rubin Which planet were you living on five years ago where Amazon was 'sort of new'?
32
@Richard Rubin Amazon has room on their warehouse floors for vending machine for bottled water and pain relievers. Period. No sitting on the job. A worker must be able to stand for 10 hours. Brutal conditions and marginal pay. I don't need to save $5 bucks on a product at the cost of the people who work there. No thanks.
42
@Richard Rubin Wow, Amazon was not 'still sorta new' five years ago, not in my world. I can remember standing in my favorite bookstore in Minneapolis, late-nineeties, a store also called Amazon and a store that only sold books by women, wondering if the new online bookseller, Amazon, was going to crush my little Amazon. Ever since my awareness in that bookstore, I have been aware that Amazon was gonna crush bookstores and everything else.
7
Some retailers, even small retailers like me, are doing just fine thanks. I've had my store, Arcadia, for 19 years now - 15 years in NYC, now the last 4 in Provincetown, MA, and what a difference that makes. In NYC, my rent and real estate taxes just kept skyrocketing for me, my employees and my customers, so none of us could afford anything.
Here in Provincetown, small shops rule still. Rents are more realistic, and my online+brick and mortar business model is designed to compete and WIN against Amazon. Nothing I sell is ON Amazon, but I offer the same fast and free shipping as Amazon, except I don't charge $120 a year for "free shipping". My business is doing well and growing yearly.
298
@Jay Gurewitsch no denying a thanks for the President Trump economy is in order.
4
@james
no denying a thanks for President Obama's economy is in order. Its still strong in spite of trump's determination to ruin it.
77
@Jay Gurewitsch if you are arcadiaptown, you have a 404 error message when trying to access your jewelry products.
7
Department stores aren't department stores anymore. It's just piles of apparel, housewares, jewelry and cosmetics. And on top of that, visiting one is a miserable experience.
Macy's, for instance, acquired beloved regional department stores like Dayton's and Marshall Field's, allowed the stores to fall into disrepair, and pushed the same merchandise from Sioux Falls to San Francisco. Add their pricing schemes and endless "sales" and it's no wonder people like me would rather visit the dentist than go shopping at a department store.
I'll still enjoy a visit to a department store like Stockmann's in Europe, where you can buy shoes, a light bulb and dog food before trying to decide what to eat in the extensive food hall, but Macy's, Dillard's and Nordstrom? Never.
5
This last Friday, I went to Costco to pick up the Thanksgiving Turkey and few other meal items. I was explicitly was looking for kids ski gloves. They had lots of gloves, but no kids ski gloves. I stopped by two other large clothes stores on my way home from work in the hopes of finding them. The closest sporting goods store is not on my way home. No luck. I ordered the gloves I wanted from Amazon and had them delivered the next morning for probably about $5-10 less than I would have paid at one of the stores had I found them. I wanted to support the local tax base, but really I should have just gone to Amazon after not finding them at Costco and saved myself 30 minutes. That is the brink and mortar problem in a nut shell.
341
REI has ski gloves. And great customer service. And you get a dividend at the end of the year. They have a great online outlet as well as sales. And their employees by all accounts are treated well and are great at what they do.
60
@Still Waiting... At least you tried to buy local. good for you.
9
@MaryM Yea... if REI is close by and in your city at twice the price.....
21
That explains all the badly fitting, ill-fitting apparel I see people wearing lately. Dragging hemlines, too loose-too tight pants and skirts, weird looking sleeves - my tailor grandfather must be spinning in his grave! Sure, I'll order online, but only after I've touched and felt the clothing. Looking like something the cat brought in is not an option for me. Plus, I love the experience of walking around a store and looking at the merchandise. Online will never recreate that experience.
200
@Betti yes my thoughts exactly
9
@Betti this is also the result of the race to the bottom with clothing suppliers. Even brick and mortar Nordstrom, whose store label garments I once found reliably well-made, no longer carries a quality product. Most of what is available is" fast fashion" quality, exploitive of garment workers and disappointing to the consumer.
25
@Betti I prefer to try on clothing and will never order shoes online. I also like to see/taste/smell new food items
12
Department stores - Macy's, Nordstrom, etc. - have become unpleasant ghost towns most. Gone are the kind sales persons, the cool merchandise, the clients. When you are lucky and find one sales person, she will not be willing to answer any question. The merchandise seams to be always the same: same brands, same items, just in the few color shades of the year. Often no clients around; just spooky.
Confront this with the buzzing world of Amazon: hundred of reviews, the possibility of asking direct questions to the seller, all sorts of merchandise -- classy to cheap, extravagant or not, any size, any color -- free returns for any reason, home delivery to any place.
Confront this with the thriving restaurants, minimally affected by the home-delivery food services, including Amazon's. They are definitely not serving same old same, offered by a few grumpy servers among sea of empty tables.
The department stores brought this upon themselves, with their infamous squeezing of the staff, and their lazy choice of the "stuff."
3
Amazon- A great place to begin your new journey of the Cancel Culture...
2
The economy is the dominate constructor of vast global relationship structures — relationships with exponential dynamics and myriad consequences — many unknown or insufficiently weighted.
The economy is not strong because it is built upon Geo Eco & Bio networks, all of which are being decimated at an accelerating rate.
eg
Climate Change
Species extinction
A hard micro-plastic rain's gonna fall...
& has, repeatedly.
Somatic relationship damage: ~100 million Americans, diabetic or pre-diabetic; obesity is an epidemic.
The media, when writing about business and economics, is far too often unable to get fundamental.
eg
The media, and most economists, do not understand code, including monetary code, in a physics, evolution & complexity context.
eg
"The story of human intelligence starts with a universe that is capable of encoding information." Ray Kurzweil
"Initial conditions rule in complex systems." Stewart Brand
Code is fundamental Relationship Infrastructure in bio, cultural & tech networks: genetic, epigenetic, language, math, moral, religious, legal, monetary, software, etc.
Complexity increases weaken the efficacy of code.
Exponentially accelerating complexity is crushing the efficacy of both our biological & cultural coding—rendering it non-selectable.
ie
“If there is a message in this book it is that we are not yet sufficiently intelligent to control or regulate ourselves or the Earth.” James Lovelock — A Rough Ride to the Future
Macy's?
Terminally myopic.
4
What does "nearly half" mean in the photo caption? Almost one half (i.e. slightly *less* than half), or almost halved (i.e. slightly *more*than half)?
1
If you have a shred of decency, don't use Amazon: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/11/amazon-warehouse-reports-show-worker-injuries/602530/
5
If I have to see the words "brick and mortar," "big-box," "shopping," or "consumer" one more time I'm going to limit my reading to the Book Review section.
4
@george eliot
The only things I buy online are books. Not from Amazon though.
2
I've come to know myself well enough in 29 years to know that I don't like anything human-related: I hate crowds, parking lots, lines, crying children etc. Amazon, for all its monopolistic ways, is a god-send. You just type in exactly what you're looking for, browse the selection and click buy. Done. All while avoiding the pitfalls of an overpopulated world. Ta da!
4
@Keely
Plus you save on gas.
1
@butterfly And you pay big time to utilize Amazon prime.
1
@Oh My
I've only bought a few things using Amazon. Prestige eye pencils that Duane Reade stopped carrying. I bought 8 and that purchase, for all 8, was double the price I'd paid for one.
Great for me. I buy books but not from Amazon. No hassle and millions to choose from with unbelievable deals. Even free books or .99 to 2.99 books.
1
Much rather support a local business, esp. one that pays their fair share of Federal taxes!! No Amazon shopping for me.
2
One day kids who grew up buying Amazon will say, “wow, wouldn’t it be really cool to buy stuff at a place where you can actually see it first?” And retail will make comeback.
7
The economy is not "relatively strong".
Average people are barely hanging on. THAT is the reality.
Medical costs are draining bank accounts if there is anything more serious than a hangnail.
The public (affordable) education system has been gutted by the rich.
College is out of reach unless students want to enter into a lifetime of servitude to bankers.
What jobs there are don't pay enough.
What jobs there are come with a total lack of the job even existing tomorrow because equity firms are gobbling up and looting profitable companies.
What money the middle class used to have has been stolen by the wealthy through socialism for the rich.
I don't know what planet the NYT is living on but here on planet Earth, in the United States, the economy is a cruel joke for anybody not wealthy.
18
Young Americans became lazy bums and they don't want to shopping in person anymore. Young Americans ruined America's future. They are destroying American's traditions and values. But Jeff Bezos is happy with the future trends in America. Amazon is moving in to Washington, DC area. Sad. I enjoyed shopping at Sears and Macy. during the past 70 years. I purchased my home furniture from Sears.
4
Another reason why brick and mortar is failing... have you actually been to a department store lately? Terrible service, long lines to check out, everything in disarray. The brick and mortar experience is garbage. I’d much rather buy online with the exception of groceries at Trader Joe’s.
6
@N Overpackaging is a disaster from both online and the groceries at TJ's.
Wha......?
Capitalism...economic competition....they bring never-ending lower prices (and market efficiencies) to the people?
For shame...
1
The department store in a mall is not going to win against online sales. It’s not Amazon vs. Macy’s, it’s mall vs. online. Even grocery stores are figuring this out.
Some retailers understand this and are competing. Walmart for example, sells online and ships from the supplier - not from stock. Others, like Penny’s don’t have a clue. They are going down. I tried to shop at Penny’s a couple of years ago. Ordered Jockey classic briefs size 34. Got a reply that these were on back order. What??? How long will that take? First of next month? Can’t ship from Jockey?
Amazon would ship from Jockey and order would be here day after tomorrow. Really stupid. Don’t deserve to survive.
4
Could a big part of the problem be that big stores no longer have a unique personality? And are therefore boring?
I remember coming into NYC in the early 60s with my mom to do back to school shopping. Starting at Gimbels on 32/6 and ending at Bloomingdales at 59/Lex we had arguably (do you count Korvettes? How about Saks, Bonwit Teller, Bergdorfs?) 10 stores to visit, each different.
Now the supply chains have compressed. You don’t need ten stores if they’re all gonna sell the same big brands.
13
Amazon has hired the brains and the others have not. Unless they get real smart soon, they are doomed.
4
Marketing. Get involved in your local community. I am very attuned in to the companies that support the local groups that I am involved with -- little league, theater etc. Amazon only gets my business when there is no practical alternative.
2
I prefer to shop in person but the experience has changed so much; I used to go shopping with my mother and grandmother and stop for lunch at the department store restaurant.
Customer service is not what it used to be. Last week I was in Macy’s buying a coat and could not find a register to check out let alone a gift box! I use the shop online pick up in store at Kohl’s and they are very accommodating and nice which I appreciate and makes me want to shop there more but their selection and sized are limited. I miss the days of spending the day leisurely shopping at a nice department store. It was another time.
13
Good for Macy's and Nordstrom! I hope Macy's succeeds and stays alive. Amazon treats its workers horribly, and won't pay its fair share of taxes, while the rest of us common people have no choice.
3
What I find difficult to understand is that if Amazon losses $2.00 on a order and continues to do this then how do they stay in business.Forget about Amazon Cloud etc., But how does is maintain its retail business if it losses money on what it sells.
If you sell something for 4.00 and loss 2 then you need to sell another product for 6 to make up for the previous loss. There is basically something wrong with a seller purposely selling below its cost to put other companies out of business. This is bad business.
1
Just 20 years ago (1999) it was predicted that Walmart would drive all of main street retailers and many national retailers out of business. Some of that happened, but it turns out that while we were all in a tizzy in 1999 about Walmart domination of the future, we failed to see that an online bookstore (Amazon) would end up turning the retail world upside down to the point that Walmart's certainty of retail domination no longer holds.
The king (Walmart) is dead, long live the king (Amazon). And Amazon too will face its own demise in a few years by another technology by another currently unknown company. The creative destruction continues.
6
How long until politicians claim we need a tax on internet sales so we can prop up zombie retail stores that people don't want to go to? My guess is any day now.
2
Long lines. That’s why I don’t like going to the store.
2
Department stores are just as corporate and bland as Amazon. The real question should be, how do we support local independent businesses *instead of* both department stores and Amazon.
4
Probably 98% of my spending at this point is done online, with groceries from Walmart and almost everything else from Amazon, although I did just snag a nice deal at LL Bean.
I have less than zero shame in doing this. Indeed, I love it. Department stores are largely overpriced junk with awful customer service. 90% of the time when I asked a question about an item they either didn't know the answer or just looked at the store website, which I am more capable of doing than they. The rare return is easier than in-person, as well.
Moreover, as much as I loathe the in-store Walmart experience, I love the online grocery experience. I order everything the night before, drive ten minutes to the store the next morning in my gas-guzzling SUV, and a friendly clerk loads my pre-bagged groceries. No muss, no fuss.
As to the people losing their jobs as a result: power looms, anyone? Adapt and overcome.
1
I always prefer shopping in a brick and mortar store where I can try things on and feel the textures. But I had a sad experience (Macy's or Nordstrom's in San Francisco) when they didn't have the item in my size or color. No problem, they said, they would ship it to me. Back in the day, I believe retailers kept more in stock.
4
I don't like malls, crowds, or overwrought shopping events, but I do enjoy shopping every once and a while. In fact, my mother and I get together twice a year to go out to lunch and shop a little. We do it in a town, with a street, and individual stores that we can wander in and out of without being bombarded by bad music, bad lights, bad air, and zombie-like crowds. It can be leisurely, the angst with which retailers set up the shopping experience is not good for anyone.
But, when I need a product like eye drops and can get them for 50% less on amazon than in any store, I'm going to do it.
6
The picture of the NJ warehouse is kind of shocking. All that merchandise has to be packed in cardboard and packing material and sent by fleets of fossil fuel vehicles to customers. Some of my neighbors get toilet paper and paper towels delivered to them while there is a Whole Foods right around the corner and a Walgreens within 2 blocks. My neighbors across the hall get everything delivered to them. The 64 gal. recycling bin is filled to near overflowing with cardboard every week. I get that people living in more rural areas have had retail opened up to them in the form of Amazon on line but so many in the cities just won't make the time for local shopping. I just don't know how I managed to shop, cook my own meals and work 2 jobs for years without using Amazon.
20
@stevenjv , uhhhhh, the stuff to brick and mortar stores also get their by "fossil fuel vehicles." LOL. Did you think it gets there by flying carpet? In fact, it pollutes twice, once to get to the store and then again for you to go pick it up. At least with Amazon there is only one movement, from the warehouse to you.
3
@Roy P Let's not think about the damage to the workers. Read "Nomadland".
Instead of being a bunch of Luddites, we should embrace the new normal. Department stores should find ways to use robotic technology and artificial intelligence to enhance their human staff.
Maybe ultimately they won’t need as many humans and that’s okay — if we do the right things. One of those right things would be to start implementing UBI (universal basic income) and truly universal healthcare so that people will not starve, become homeless, or become sick if they lose their jobs.
UBI will allow us to go from fearing automation taking our jobs to encouraging it: if consumers still have dollars in their pockets and no fear of becoming destitute, they will welcome the shorter workdays and shorter workweeks that should come with automation. They will leave outmoded jobs and create new ventures, or seek leisure.
UBI is not some pie-in-the-sky socialist fantasy. It’s a way to insure that consumers meet basic needs and have money in their pocket to keep the economy chugging along. Otherwise, automation will mean more and more humans out of work but without cash to buy the goods and services that corporations would want to sell them. UBI is the difference between a new paradigm of creativity and leisure and economic collapse due to job and wage destruction.
3
Why? Convenience! You can buy anything you can imagine on Amazon and it arrives at your doorstep within 48 hours, sometimes in 24 hours. On most items you pay no sales tax. Returns are very easy with free return shipping in many cases. I don't even have to print a shipping label.
Try going into Home Depot or Lowes and ask a question and expect to get a knowledgeable answer. Not gonna happen. Amazon ain't doing any better but at least there is convenience and low price guarantee.
It's easy to tell the little people to shop local, but given that we are being bombarded on all sides, why should we care for anything other than our bottomline?
I gave Prime a try. My first order was lost. so was the second. I no longer have prime....but I will still have to buy from Amazon...why? because where I live I can't even find Russian Salad Dressing or Lava Soap or LeCarre's new novel. That's the choice many of us in small town and small city America have.
5
@John Harding Russian Dressing. Take out your mayo and your ketchup. Combine. If you want to be daring add some relish and you have Thousand Island. Problem solved.
8
It is not right for companies to drive their competition out of business by selling goods or services at a loss. We all lose in the long run.
5
I always appreciated department stores for their service as well as the quality of their merchandise, in line with the department I was shopping.
Department stores started dying long before Amazon, when Finkelstein and then Campeau acquired store after store in leveraged buyouts, driving them into bad management and bankruptcy,
Now the department store experience is like the old Filene's basement on markdown day. Who needs this hassle?
4
The way to "beat" Amazon is to offer what it cannot: Great customer service delivered by well-trained, well-paid, happy and loyal employees.
The best example I know of in this regard is Scheel's. The midwest/west sporting goods store (a cross between Cabela's and Dick's. Great employees who love their jobs, well trained and happy. Their enthusiasm ... and a great selection of merchandise is a winning combination. (and no, I do not and never have worked for Scheel's)
8
@michaelm I agree! I always shop at Scheel's when I'm in a city that has one.
The service is exceptional, they have everything for every sport from archery to yoga and they carry interesting regional merchandise. It's truly a great customer experience.
1
When folks have an alternative, they’ll take the easiest route. Simple as that. Personally, I only shop face-to-face because I don’t want to see the end of being able to do that.
4
Amazon's model is not as good as bricks and mortar for shopping but much more efficient for anyone interested in buying. It takes less inventory. One central location is always more efficient than having multiple distribution centers and points of ultimate sale. This is especially true for any products that are somewhat obscure where demand is very hard to predict. It takes less labor. The "selling" activity of helping customers decide what they want is performed by google searches, rather than flesh and blood sales people.
The only real advantages brick and mortar establishments have, they don't actually have. As their business model is increasingly impacted, they can't afford to carry inventory so they train people not to bother coming in. As their business model is increasingly impacted, they can't afford to hire people who actually know the product and can demonstrate/sell it, so they end up training customers not to come in.
Short answer: Amazon/on line selling will continue to take over.
1
Shall be interesting. Will we have 25% workforce participation and the rest of us on welfare, or will be cut the workweek in half? The latter choice seems more stable.
4
@Andrew but the former choice is far more likely as it sis more efficient and, frankly, greedy. It is also why I have been advocating for a guaranteed minimum income or a negative income tax for some time now, as this is inevitable and we must care for the vulnerable.
2
@Andrew
I guess that's where Andrew Yang's guaranteed income comes in...
2
Back in the 1970's when I was employed in the retail industry stores had realistic everyday prices. Today the everyday prices are inflated and you need to do is wait for the Buy one Get one Sale to pay the proper price. Amazon and other online retailers offer the proper price everyday,
3
The sky is falling! The sky is falling! Oh please! Ever been to an Apple store, busy from open to close and everything you can buy in the store can be bought on line and still the stores are full. Retail is not dead and Amazon is not the enemy, the winner is the consumer who gets to choose from a world wide variety of goods and price points. If you don't like it shop local.
Amazon is just the latest in a long line of retail innovators succeeding because they provide consumers what they want, where they want and at the price they want. A long time ago Sears was the retail innovator driving main street stores out of business. Anyone remember the Sears catalog?
3
I don't buy anything from Amazon.
My fraction of a cent of effort to keep local stores to stay in business.
between the loss of retail jobs, AND the upcoming automation of long distance trucks AND the destruction of the newspaper business, what is everyone going to do?
WHAT jobs will be left?
15
@East Coast I agree & changed my buying patterns as well. I first look to locally-owned businesses. They hire people in my community. Most of the money stays in my community. The few pennies I might save buying online isn’t worth it. Also, I stay more engaged with my community when I walk the streets to shop, have a coffee, eat lunch, and so on.
Amazon is convenient but my community means more to me than a few saved minutes.
Shop local !
13
Yes, of course. For the same reasons, I always insist on placing my calls through an operator, and always take the stairs instead of the elevator.
3
Humans are very social animals. A big effect of Amazon's short circuiting the process of selling goods in stores is another hit to human interaction, in this instance the exchange of goods and services for currency. In a store, we talk with people, face to face, maybe exchange a joke or two. Amazon is hollowing out yet another valuable and age old setting of people interaction from trade.
25
Amazon has a truly enormous and well-priced selection of almost everything which, if it is damaged or the wrong size or whatever, can be returned without a hassle or a long drive through traffic to the mall.
Also, most bricks and mortar stores of any size lack knowledgeable sales personnel—or any visible personnel on the store floor at all. If there are sales personnel available they often have to compete for available sales registers.
I buy many dozens of items from Amazon every year, saving me many dozens of trips to various stores, all of which are at least 10-20 miles round-trip from my home. I am “green,” so I count this as one of many benefits of shopping Amazon.
7
@Mon Ray OK Boomer
1
@Mon Ray What about the wasteful packaging?
1
@Bill P. Amazon is asking suppliers to package their goods so that re-boxing is not necessary for shipment. That said, cardboard is one of the most widely recycled materials on the planet.
I'm sorry that there is a place where I can find just about everything I need from 3kW full-spectrum grow lights to Oxford-cloth shirts.
They don't carry any of those things at the Dollar General that are the closest things to a store with 10 miles of country roads. Nor do I expect them to.
3
Two thoughts: Brick and mortar retailers are shooting themselves in the foot by discouraging their own in-store sales. What's a big advantage they have over Amazon? Being able to shop in-store. Yet customers are discouraged from shopping there! They are greeted with automated systems, poor or no customer service, and the repeated refrain: "Look online. The discount is only online. We only carry it online. You must check online." The customer leaves (or never comes in at all) and goes right back to Amazon. As for Amazon itself, I don't think it's as great a deal as Americans believe but once they become Prime members, they often develop this tunnel vision and that is the only place they shop. Amazon misleads them with the line that they get "Free shipping with Prime." Prime shipping isn't free. $119 will never = $0. But the free shipping claim encourages impulse spending and once a person is a Prime member, they often buy a lot of items they don't really need. One-Click is fast, convenient, and it's easy to lose track of how much you spend. But there are a lot of other competitors online that offer real free shipping with no membership fees. Amazon is not the only game in town and it's not the cheapest.
23
One big reason why it is so hard for any type of real store to compete with the online giants is that there is an inherent bias in all of the search engines to present online retailers. Try to find a store in your community that has a product. Even where there are such stores (e.g., Target), preference will be given to their online versions before their brick and mortar locations.
4
I needed a $5 cable for my new printer. I could have gone to Best Buy at the mall, parked my car and took an escalator to the 3rd floor, found a sales person to help me, asked if they sold the cable. They had it but was $7 for that item, Went home and ordered it on Amazon for $5 with free next day delivery.
A no hassle purchase!
10
I haven’t been to a mall department store in years. Don’t have to. They never had what I wanted, so just a waste of time.
4
People are deeply into the rush of consumerism. Nothing else feeds that addiction as surely and quickly as an injection of online buying.
14
I always feel two ways about Amazon. On the one hand I am utterly overwhelmed by choice, spend 30 minutes trying to choose an item, only to refuse to have things shipped in three packages, and end up back at square one. I then go to the manufacturer's website for an item only to find that the one store that sells it is a 45 minute journey from my house.
I would love to avoid Amazon/Target/Rite Aid but there's no hardware store even close to me. Just food, clothes, and overpriced home goods. Usually I end up buying nothing and go without. Amazon is frankly exhausting but so are the other choices.
For clothes, however, I'll never go to Amazon. Long live Barneys.
4
There’s little inducement to visit a store, i.e., Macy’s, where the merchandise is generic, the customer service absent, and the thrill gone.
11
I don't think these retailers have to go out of business. I know they have their own web sites and online stores because I have bought things from Nordstrom's and Nieman-Marcus online. When given the choice of first, having to present yourself as someone with the cash to spend and not have the salespeople look at you like "oh, no." Second, no driving across town to the mall, finding a place to park, walking from one end to the other, again only to be dissed by some snotty salesperson who is most likely 18 years old and has no idea or interest in how to help. Of course, I am going to shop online. These stores do not have to give up their labels, reputation or income by giving up their attitude.
8
Because monopolies are bad for competition. Amazon is a monopoly.
14
@Tom In Oakland Amazon is not a monopoly.
Amazon is a mall, an online mall. What monopoly, when you can find hundreds of sellers of the same sneakers at different price? Macy's used to be a kind of go-to monopoly, twenty years ago, before it became ghost town.
1
I remember getting my foot measured for shoes. How does one purchase a shoe via a picture without touching or feeling it on the feet.
9
@Anthony
it still is a rarity, but I have seen websites that offer a grid for printing out, then you put your foot on the printed paper and determine size and width.
1
Do your feet change size on a daily basis? Otherwise, why would you need to measure them more than once?
4
@GMooG They can change size due to swelling over the course of a day.
3
The experience in physical stores most of the time is terrible. I especially try to avoid grocery stores, instead relying on Instacart for delivery. Finding parking and staying in a gigantic check-our line is a waste of time. For household items, I order online at Target, because visiting their physical store is easily a 2-hour venture. Starting with a gigantic parking lot and continuing into their maze-like isles of goods. I never know where stuff is and finding knowledgeable sales associates is a problem. A few extra bucks spent online is worth it to avoid the hassle. My only exception to shopping online is for clothes, but usually stick to Ann Taylor and Lucky Brand Jeans, because I know the sizing well and the sales associates are very helpful.
4
I live in France and return to NY tomorrow for the holidays with my family. I order from Amazon here regularly (my friends think I’m crazy) with the same Prime expediency I am used to in the US. I’ve ordered bits and pieces from US sites that I’m accustomed to online that I can’t find here - all waiting for me in NY when I get back (Amazon, Target, H&M, Readers.com) ... why would I spend time parking, jostling, searching, when I can enjoy a glass of wine or hot cocoa with my grown kids at The Boathouse or Café Gitane ?
4
@Harley swedler
It's kind of nice to see groups of people, once in a while. Living in a suburban-type of city, that's a rarity. There's still those Starbuck thingies, though.
1. Can’t find an item on the shelf, told to order it online because they don’t carry it in store.
2. That’s if you can find someone to ask!
3. 6 self checkouts available at one end of the store that work sporadically, always the opposite end from where I’m parked!
One clerk manning a checkout line.
If I have to do everything myself, I may as well do it from the comfort of home.
39
Is there anyway for Dep Stores to beat AZ?
YES, there is.
And it starts with us, The Consumers.
These stores are part of our lives. Our parents took us as toddlers to Macy's, L&T, Saks, Bloomingdale, Neiman. We used to enjoy the experience immensely.
Do we want to keep and support these stores for our children and grandchildren?
Sure we do.
Then let's boycott AMAZON.
Let's send Bezos a message.
21
@morGan Why would you apply effort to pay more and receive inferior service?
4
@gman Maybe to keep people employed, a fundamental component of the economy?
13
@beth
Thank you for stating the very obvious.
Just you know: The French and Brits consider their dept stores as shrines, not merely as shopping centers. In fact, Harrods is revered around the world as one of England's jewels.
And we have Jeff Bezos's Amazon peddling very poor quality,China-made rags.
6
A couple of newer issues that make Amazon the more convenient choice. Some malls now charging for parking and CT has outlawed plastic bags.
7
@ladyluck
Bring your own bags
1
Interesting -- and telling -- that this article appears just a day after another one in the Times focusing on the demise of a neighborhood institution -- and a terrific store -- Chelsea Convenience Hardware, which is closing after more than 20 years.
Chelsea Convenience Hardware's prices are generally *less* than Amazon's (or Home Depot of Lowes, both of which are also in Chelsea), the quality of what they sell is good, and you know you're actually getting what you want / need, because you could ask a knowledgeable person (the store owner!) what drill bit you needed or what sort of anchors would work best; and he knew from experience. Try doing that in Home Depot or Amazon!
Not everyone needs to shop at Nordstrom's, or even Macy's, but most of us need hardware, small tools, replacement parts for items that have broken, and that sort of thing. And we want to be able to buy it, take it home, and use / install it when we need it.
Sad to see that that sort of real "convenience" seems top be vanishing. Not to mention the livelihoods of the people that own or work in small, local businesses.
In NYC it's all about sky-rocketing rents and a climate that's more favorable to big chain stores and uber-rich real estate tycoons and "developers"
The Life and Death of the Local Hardware Store
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/22/opinion/sunday/small-business-economy.html
23
I was just in Kohl's and in Macy's last week. In Macy's you have to hunt for a register rperson to buy. And it's messy. That cuts down on impulse buying for sure; you're just as likely to say forget it and walk out.
In Kohl's, they were adequately staffed at the register; but what's there is mostly old people stuff. And I'm old but it didn't appeal to me. I stopped in to buy a gift card for someone I know that shops there; but I can't imagine going back. Unattractive merchandise. Relatively high prices but with a discount.
Contrast that with Amazon where you can sit in the comfort of your home, page thru an almost endless selection of merchandise, compare ratings and even check the prices at another site before buying. Once bought it appears at your home within a couple of days.
The bricks and mortar stores are going to have to figure something else out, but trying to compete with Amazon on their turf isn't working. As for the ill fitting clothes; I can always return it if I don't like the fit. I buy online at Nordstrom's as well, no one can accuse them of having cheap stuff but in store or online, higher price doesn't equate to good fit. Clothing is drafted to fit the designers vision, which may or may not fit your body shape. I have to alter most RTW to fit regardless of the cost and fortunately I'm a seamstress. So why not just shop online.
4
I buy a lot of thing on Amazon. 95% of those things come from small retailers not the Amazon warehouse. In fact the Iphone 7 case I just bought through Amazon came from small business person in Reno. Nevada.
4
I would love to read an article which discusses whether the ease of Amazon deliveries is contributing to hoarding.
21
@PMD The answer seems obvious!
1
I just have to laugh at the people who decry the growth of on-line shopping and the resulting demise of brick and mortar shops. Where were they when malls killed downtown shopping all over America? That’s the real shame.
60
"...dozens of buzzy e-commerce start-ups, built through savvy marketing on Instagram and Facebook ... built around one product, ship directly to consumers ... backed by venture capital, ... focused on growth ... not concerned with making money in the short-term...."
It took 20 years for the cycle to repeat but here we are, back in the days of irrational exuberance. In the late 1990s during the dot com mania there were start-up on-line entities to sell one item and become category killers. I recall a start-up to sell pantyhose on-line and for a while this gimmick had a huge valuation in the stock market. One of many such darlings of the day. It was the best of times until it became the worst of times and it all went poof in early 2000 after the feared disaster of Y2K never happened and rationality reappeared.
We never learn.
10
The new 57th Street Nordstrom's has very high-end expensive clothing. This is not a regular suburban Nordstrom's.
And not a replacement for Lord & Taylor
6
"...dozens of buzzy e-commerce start-ups, built through savvy marketing on Instagram and Facebook ... built around one product, ship directly to consumers ... backed by venture capital, ... focused on growth ... not concerned with making money in the short-term...."
It took 20 years for the cycle to repeat but here we are, back in the days of irrational exuberance. In the late 1990s during the dot com mania there were start-up on-line entities to sell one item and become category killers. I recall a start-up to sell pantyhose on-line and for a while this gimmick had a huge valuation in the stock market. One of many such darlings of the day. It was the best of times until it became the worst of times and it all went poof in early 2000 after the feared disaster of Y2K never happened and rationality reappeared.
We never learn.
5
"The economy is relatively strong and consumers are spending. So why are things so tough for some retailers? "
When the headline writer has nothing better to do, try looking up the price of retail rents in cities. It's no accident that all we see in most of our "improved" downtown areas are chains and high priced restaurants and boutiques.
10
I hate going to stores and having to look for a clerk who then gives you attitude about helping you.
The other day I needed gels for my wireless headphones. I go to the company website and surprise, surprise, they are in backorder and will take 3 weeks to have them in stock.
Silly me for not checking Amazon first. Not only did they have them in stock. They had them for a lower price and free next day shipping. Original too.
You want to give retailers and companies the chance, but sometimes they don’t give you another choice. It’s their own fault.
16
Amazon is worse than Walmart and it’s impact on small communities in the 90s. Whole Foods are a mere shell of what they were. I recently cancelled my prime membership and will never go back. Amazon is killing community retail and jobs. I, for one, am OK will a little less convenience. Jeff Bezos isn’t getting another dime from me
46
Shopping used to be a pleasure, now it's a huge annoying chore. Start with insufficient parking, messy stores, ill-trained and pretty much unsupervised sales staff who behave as if I'm interrupting their break if I actually need their help, the long hassle over returns (even with receipts), coupon codes (just state the sale price without the distraction and delay of scanning coupons!), "do you want a printed receipt or have it emailed" makes me suspicious that I'll get spam from their store for eternity, and sales staff not knowing or caring anything their stock on hand. It's the same experience whether you are at Macy's or at Target but I expect that at Target. Nobody cares about the CUSTOMER, it's take your money and kick you on the backside to get you out of the store as fast as they can.
17
The writer ignores the cozy corruption of the retail industry, the "cooperative marketing", the incentives and rebates commonly used by manufactures and suppliers to ensure product visibility in the stores. Anytime a quasi-oligopoly arises in this way, disruption can be catastrophic. That's why Amazon is having such an effect, and it's why some of the old line stores can't change fast enough. They became fat, dumb and happy in the old system.
5
@Daedalus Agreed. It's interesting when they cite certain metrics like Macy's profit margin declining as if in a "normal" world would be something that should only remain static or increase over time. If it wasn't Amazon it would be someone else.
2
Retailing has always been a tough business, industry profit margins are in the 0.5 to 5% (Amazon is at 3.8%, Walmart 3%, Target 4%, and Macys at 0.4%).
There has always been a lot of financial tricks necessary to make the business work (paying vendors in 90 days, rather than typical 30 or 45-day). The goods in a lot of stores are effectively loaned to the store, you pay the retailer, and the retailer earns interest on the cash until payment is due. If the retailer goes bankrupt, suppliers are near last in line to get paid (see Mattel during Toys R Us Chapter 7).
Walmart in their day did a lot to improve the overall efficiency of the system (tracking a load from manufacturer to point of sale and working with vendors to shorten trip). The best retailers today are effectively the best logistics company.
And logistics gains aren't gains that are held only be Walmart or Amazon. If P&G cuts hundreds of miles off a trip to deliver soap, the environment benefits as does every other retailer (as P&G can ship more cheaply to Kroger).
We are beginning to see who will survive (Best Buy, Kohls, Target, Walmart) and who is likely next to fall (Macys). But to blame Amazon today or Walmart of the 80s and 90s is to ignore all of the benefits that consumers have realized from the giant companies.
4
"The result may be that Americans find themselves with fewer places to shop." It would be more accurate to say that Americans are looking for fewer places to shop.
12
@Sipa111 I think we're also buying less "stuff" than our parents did. I think we hit peak retail in the early 2000s with things like Best Buy trying to sell you an extended warranty on a pack of AA batteries and its been going downhill ever since. Good riddance, I'll easily make do with less.
4
A lack of consideraton for shoppers in terms of what is sold is what hobbles a store like Macy's, in my experience. For clothing, all I see is designer names on clothes of poor quality, rather than providing a range of clothes people need or want, that may or may not include a designer. When a store serves designers and not customers, it is doomed, in my opinion. Century 21 is no better, sad to say. But I used to be able to go to a Burlington, and find Izod, Chaps and Dockers, good quality clothes of cotton, only now they have inexplicably ruined their store near me. So many things are simply not sensible. Why can't you buy a bathrobe or pajamas in your size? Or find socks that are not synthetics? Or seasonable clothes? I live in Philadelphia, where winter can be damp and chilly, even freezing cold, yet try to find a real winter coat in a store here. It's almost impossible. They send light, small, only slightly insulated jackets and precious little else. Bad decision making. And too much consolidation. JC Penney's was a fine store until the wrong executive got hold of it. Same for K-Mart.
36
@Joshmo
I've wondered if department stores did away with savy talented buyers and replaced them with counterintuitive algorithms. It's the only explanations for the merchandise I see in stores these days.
5
Amazon doesn’t work too well in Virginia-I am always having ordered items canceled by them because they can’t deliver them. Or having items delivered damage, or items that I wish to purchase cannot be found on amazon and thus I am off to the store. I should stop trying to use amazon and go to the store the first time around.
5
Malls are places that people spend a lot of money they do not have on things they do not need. I also have concerns about security and safety inside malls, and the parking garages and lots. I shop at "town centers" where I am outside when I leave a store, but I avoid Walmart b/c after living in the Deep South for a couple of years, where Walmart was the only place to go, I quickly came to learn that the company is a pox upon society.
I turn to Amazon or other on-line shopping sites as needed - these sites are also heaven-sent to people like my disabled mother.
The thought of going to a mall is simply nauseating and I doubt I am the only one who feels that way.
18
Why is Amazon winning?
In-store shopping isn't enjoyable anymore. The last time I was in Kohl's, inventory was crammed a millimeter apart on racks that were a foot from each other. I couldn't browse, because I couldn't pry items off the rack to look at them without brushing against other customers. Then there's the pricing. The price on the tag is never the actual price. There's always a complicated "sale" going on, and coupons if you are willing to exchange your personal information for them.
Return policies vary wildly. Some stores demand the paper receipt you were given at purchase and argue with you about the form of the refund even with the receipt-- they love to issue store credit! It's such a chore. Enter your credit card, sign this, put your address here, hang on, let me staple your original receipt to the return receipt that the cashier has made detailed notes on to prove you've returned the item.
Store hours also vary wildly. You can run a quick grocery errand before going to work at 8AM. You can't run a quick department store errand early in the morning. Nordstrom and Kohl's and Macy's aren't open and neither is the mall.
Enter Amazon. It never closes, returns are easy, browsing is stress-free, and you don't have to climb over other shoppers.
40
@SLH Only browsing on Amazon is very stressful if you are looking for anything specific, and it takes up precious hours.
7
I’m having a good laugh, reading the many comments that mention disappointment at finding lax inventory in retail establishments. The irony is that most stores cannot maintain adequate inventory because they don’t have the support from shoppers necessary to keep stock on hand. The complainants’ reliance upon Amazon et al is causing the very problem they encounter.
19
I miss shopping in real stores. All that's left in my town is a Dollar General that always looks like the aisles exploded. My husband tells me there used to be a Penny's, a Sears, several independent department stores, plumbing and electrical supplies, and dime stores when he was a kid in this town.
Sometimes I think many of us order stuff in the middle of the night from Amazon because we're lonesome and bored. We don't have the social aspects of shopping in person and a lot of towns don't have any culture or nightlife. How much stuff is ordered out of boredom?
84
@Linda
You raise an interesting point. I've always maintained that the only thing Americans truly fear is boredom. We simply cannot stand to not be stimulated. (He said as he typed on his iPhone.)
15
@Linda Drinking while Amazoning is also a wicked brew. (Slurp!)
2
I'm less enthusiastic about Amazon these days. Sometimes you find multiple sellers at multiple prices for a particular item. Sure, you get lots of choices but you don't know if the items being sold are genuine, fakes, or opened and resold. You don't know if the knockoffs are any good. You can't tell if you can trust the seller. I would rather purchase direct from the manufacturer of from a merchant with an established reputation. Also, I started going to the mall again. It's not as satisfying to shop online as it is to visit a bricks and mortar store and see the item before purchasing it.
65
For decades Amazon and other internet sellers were allowed to get away with not collecting state sales taxes. If states want to invigorate their economies they should consider reversing the formula that gave out-of-state sellers a long term and significant price advantage.
Sales tax should be collected in full from internet orders and reduced or eliminated from brick and mortar local retailers.
Local businesses were subject to this de facto price disadvantage for years. For an equal period they should benefit from flipping the tables when it comes to which sellers are required to collect state sales tax.
28
Kohl’s is foolish for partnering with Amazon, who they’re also competing against. Department stores have hurt themselves by offering less product in stores so that customers have to go on-line to get what they want and by discounting and conditioning buyers to only buy when things are in sale. When looking for homecoming dresses for my daughters, there’s little point in going to the stores because the inventory and selection is mainly on-line. I believe many consumers like shopping and being able to try on clothes. But when there’s little to choose from and lines are long due to understaffing, on-line shopping is more fruitful and efficient.
5
One weakness of Amazon: the high degree to which its reviews are bogus. Customers want honest reviews and so many Amazon reviews are fake or lie. Amazon doesn’t seem to care enough to really fix the problem, so the weakness persists as buyers can’t trust the listings.
79
Another weakness?
Counterfeit items.
From cosmetics to blue jeans, it's a real issue.
And it's only getting worse.
14
@JR And fake supplements, which can affect your health.
6
When I shop online I read the negative reviews to see if there is a common complaint. Positive reviews are useless for actually making a decision.
10
Amazon is convenient, no doubt. But there is something to be said about the fact that Amazon is investing in brick-and-mortar; there must be some value in that play.
As for clothing, they can obviously crush basics (underwear, socks, t-shirts, etc.)if the customer isn’t picky or is masochistically happy with the omnivore’s dilemma of endless choices. That’s why Amazon can beatdown Kohl’s and similar would-be competitors.
Prestigious brand access is what separates Nordstrom from Amazon. The ability to feel and try on the product and serendipitously run into something you might like better also separates the two.
With that said, one company is worth 876 billion and the other is worth 6 billion. What would happen to the retail industry if Amazon bought Nordstrom? Talk about disruption.
2
@Jason My son's done research ono amazon. He told me that they're moving toward tagging all products with "Made by Amazon"
2
Earlier today, I ordered a pair of glare-reducing eyeglasses for night-time driving. I searched for the glasses online, and the first half-dozen vendors all sold their eyeware through Amazon.
Refusing to buy from Amazon has long been a passion of mine, stemming from difficulty I had ordering from the behemoth merchant about a decade ago. I continue buy only from other online vendors today, because I believe Amazon does not exercise sufficient respect or concern in regard to my private data.
After moving far down the search return page, I found a vendor that sold the product I wanted without going through Amazon. Several times each week, when ordering online, I must make the same effort, past the upper rows of vendors until I find one that handles orders itself.
8
Not sure what your principled stand is about: it’s not helping brick-and-mortar retailers, it’s not hurting Amazon, and what exactly is the principle about?
2
Why give Amazon the cut? Let it all go to the vendor. That's an absolutely valid reason to buy direct.
3
@EdNY It's about (1) Amazon's dominance of online retailing, and (2) the company's insufficient concern for our private data.
2
'Often, these companies are built around one product' -- Before there were department stores, there were specialty stores, focusing on one line of products so they could excel at that. But they could not have stores all over since many locations had little local demand. Department stores solved that problem by providing outlets for many products and travel convenience for consumers. The other way was mail order, which was slow, costly, and didn't allow direct contact with products before purchase. Online solves most of that but department stores can still offer contact with specialty personal items if they contract with the specialty producers.
1
Instant convenience aside I’m not going to buy shoes and clothes online no matter what, my body is particular- I’ll take my chances with brick and mortar retailers.
32
@Jonathan W I quit buying clothes online because the fabric was always awful when seen and touched in person. Shirts and dresses felt like plastic. If I saw this fabric in a walk-in store, I'd never buy it.
12
@Jonathan W
Good for you, you Luddite!
The real reason retailers haven't been able to compete with Amazon is because Amazon's shareholders have continued to support them and not expect profits. Amazon has grown in all directions on basically free money. Meanwhile, traditional retailers are still pressured to maintain their profit margins.
It's an unfair race that consumers support by naturally gravitating to the lowest prices and convenience, even if Amazon loses $ on every order.
Here's the long-term problem the consumer will undoutedly face: "The result may be that Americans find themselves with fewer places to shop." When there is little to no competition in a market, prices can go super high. The day Amazon is nearly the only seller is they day they can dictate market pricing and consumers will have no alternative but to pay.
The big issue is whether our government should control these free markets. The old rules no longer apply and we will need new ones if the consumer is to keep benefitting.
25
@OSM
Amazon did lose money at the beginning, but now they essentially print it. They appealed to the Street with a winning model that pared losses each quarter, showing a clear trend toward profitability.
WeWork, by contrast, tried losing money with a losing model run by a charlatan and it blew up pretty quickly.
2
I think Amazon may have saved our country. People in the digital age aren't going to drive 5 miles to a store to purchase a small item. Amazon made it easy to buy "things," so "things" kept being produced----creating jobs.
Before Amazon it was Sears, KMart, Walmart, etc. Big stores that put small stores out of business. Amazon is simply a gigantic Sears, Kmart, Walmart.
6
@Travelers
The problem here is that this is cutting out the middle man on the supply chain altogether. If a business can no longer mark up prices in order to make a profit, they go bankrupt.
2
@Travelers Um, where do you think all those "things" are being produced at such low prices? Cause it ain't here in America. Sure we are creating jobs--for low-paid laborers in Chinese factories.
11
Amazon has many advantages based on integration of warehousing, packaging, the variety of products, and volume. There is always a drive for greater efficiency driven even more by the global warming emergency. UPS and Fed Express are not competitive to Amazon as they should be. Their shipping rates are high. They offer no warehousing or packaging. One response to keep Amazon from becoming even more of a monopoly is to allow the U.S. Postal Service to offer the same services as Amazon which would be made available to all online retailers. Brick and mortar stores should be advocating for higher density urban areas with cars being discouraged as is being done in many large cities. Retail has not been hurt but actually helped. Higher density urban areas also will lead to a different type of purchases. The types of items needed in a single family household in the suburbs is different than high density housing in urban areas and is better served by brick and mortar retail.
5
The answer is pretty simple, there is no middle class to support Sears, Macys, etc. And, the population is growing older and has fewer needs that supported the department stores. So, as the middle class shrinks so do the number of go to places for shoppers. Same with the growth of the elderly population.
The dollar stores are thriving because they cater to the bottom of the retail market - which, unfortunately, is growing daily.
Having been a Nordstrom customer exclusively for over 30 years, I'm retired and don't have a need for the latest Santoni loafers. I do need a new pair of New Balance sneakers, but I,m not going to pay $298 and Nordstrom when I can get the same shoe online for under $100.
Walmart's profits and gross margins match up with Amazon and despite that, Walmart is moving in the direction of Amazon at a very quick pace.
Just this week a Dr. prescribed a drug and suggested I use Amazon for my purchase.
I just purchased a new phone, my service provider wanted just over $1,000. I bought the exact same model with all the goodies on Amazon for $270.
To solve the problem we need to bring back the unions (for fair wages, better product quality, and an increased middle class).
We also need to enforce local tax laws on online purchases and put an infrastructure use tax on online purchases.
This will, of course, happen only in my dreams, no one is going to standup to Amazon.
45
Sears and all the 'big box' stores that followed put many small local retail stores out of business. One reason was the convenience of 'one-stop' shopping that made consumers' lives easier. And now online shopping is putting the big box stores out of business. Why? For the same reason, really. You can find exactly what you want faster and buy it with a click of a button without even leaving your home. Advances that benefit consumers will always prevail over nostalgia and the wailing of the businesses affected. When progress hurts us personally the reflex is to call it 'evil', though it is not in and of itself inherently so. What is different this time around is that 'success' is no longer linked to profitability. Is the 'advance' truly viable is the real question.
17
A lot of shopping is better done online. No going from store to store to store, no driving to shopping malls, no fuel usage, no dings in your car door.
Time and innovation march on. When's the last time you hailed a horse and buggy?
53
@MIKEinNYC
A LOT of fuel goes into the delivery of those online purchases-- not just the actual Fed Ex/UPS but creating all the excess packaging and then its disposal, etc etc
1
@MIKEinNYC, I don't like the air in stores, and think I'm mildly allergic to it. Still I'd prefer physical stores if I could find all the things I need in one or even two stores at a time. We have a lot of stores in my small city, but the varieties are limited. They don't have to all carry a small range of similar merchandise, but they do.
I'm happy that the photo in this article was of Nordstrom. The new Nordstrom store on 57th St. is extremely symbolic as to why retailers are struggling. Its about selling the right merchandise to the right customers. And too many retailers just aren't doing that, including the new Nordstrom in NYC.
I went to Nordstrom 57th St. a week after the opening with money to spend. My experiences at other Nordstrom stores in Westchester and Chicago were great so I greatly anticipated this store. I left Nordstrom empty handed & extremely disappointed. The store is a tourist trap. Lots of glitz & glam but no substance. Clothing/sizes that most customers need were missing, including a plus sized section that all Nordstrom stores have except this one. They heavily advertised the 7 restaurants & cafes at the store, but the fare was not impressive in a city that is flush with great eateries. This new Nordstrom was just mind boggling inadequate to me.
27
@RBC I'm doing great shopping at upscale department stores on-line. Nordstrom, Saks, Nieman are able to scour the country for selected merchandise. I can order two sizes and return without any problem. With different buyers these small satellite Dept. stores across the country cannot possibly carry all the merchandise that these stores really offer.
3
I HATE shopping in stores because I get sick of walking around and around looking for a clerk; then, if I find one, he/she can’t help me anyway; and much of the time what I want isn’t there, anyway. Retail has declined so much in terms of service and inventory, it’s not worth my time. Nine times out of ten, if I go to a store to shop, I come home and buy from Amazon out of sheer frustration. If retailers want our business, they have to treat shoppers like humans.
129
@Citizen of the Earth
For another viewpoint, when I order from Amazon for things other than dog food like clothing or shoes, I invariably have to return them. Fit, quality, color are almost always off. Disappointing and a hassle to return.
16
@Citizen of the Earth
I remember a time when a job in retail was actually something that might support you, maybe not well, but adequately. There were salespeople in department stores who were there for thirty years because they were treated and paid well. Now you walk into a 10,000 sqft store, and there are three kids working there at minimum wage, all of looking as if they'd rather be anywhere else on Earth.
33
@Citizen of the Earth
Funny - I hate shopping online because there is nobody to help you.
Fifty percent of the time I have to return things and THAT is a big hassle.
I wind up knowing I'm a chump to buy online. The discount is wiped out by shipping charges. I have to wait to even see the item in person.
That's not convenience - that's being a sucker.
7
If Amazon isn’t checked, we will end up like Soviet Russia, where there’s only one place to buy what you need.
The ambition of American corporations is to eliminate competition. We need a strong government to regulate them and enforce antitrust laws, but instead we have legislators who are willing to be bribed to look the other way.
We are fast approaching a point where corporations are to large and powerful to be checked by democratic oversight. We may already be passed it.
166
@Xoxarle There would be more competition if retailers offered products that customers want to buy. Consumers are tired of wasting time and money going to stores, looking for goods & finding out that the store doesn't have it. Amazon gets business because they always have what you want. When the retailers figure this out, they'll be successful again.
14
@RBC You make a really interesting point - so much of the free market argument comes back to the idea/assumption that competition (the fiercer the better) creates better products and outcomes for the consumer - but no one is really competing with Amazon, they're only imitating and without the wealth to properly imitate amazon, they flounder and then fail. Great success does not encourage innovation so much as imitation. A true competitor will need a radically new approach to what Amazon is doing and solve the issues that Amazon's service now creates.
5
@Xoxarle You need to study up on the Soviet/Russan economy. There was only one place to buy what you needed because the government owned everything. Hence you were buying from government-owned stores who had no incentive to be competitive. Exactly, the opposite.
5
Full disclosure: I work in retail at a local ACE hardware store. The fact is, and I hear it all the time, nearly everyone claims they support local bricks and mortar businesses and cringe in disgust if you say you shop on Amazon.
The reality is when nobody is looking they too are shopping online, and generally on Amazon. Amazon has built an amazingly convenient platform. If nobody admits to using it how come it's so big?
ACE is doing quite well thank you despite Amazon. The reason is they offer great service and you can pick up that O ring or light bulb you need right away.
202
The local Ace is my first go-to option when fixing something around the house. Great service and selection.
76
@George Ace Hardware sells bricks and mortar, which is among the few items that you can't efficiently buy online.
35
@George
I have scaled back purchasing on Amazon and watching their original streaming content to the a degree that I probably could forgo my Prime membership.
Every once in a while, I do find it convenient -like ordering a book with 2 day shipping that my child needs for school. But that convenience is getting harder to justify with so many emerging negatives.
I don't like all the delivery packaging, the 5 gallons of fuel it took to get a $4 book. Or how Amazon fosters a 3rd-party contract delivery system, passing road insurance and basic employee protections and benefits on to smaller operators with scarcer resources. Those harried drivers are on the roads taking risks to meet Amazon standards, but operating on such slim margins so they don't carry sufficient insurance for real damages. Amazon is also a questionable marketplace for vendors. Amazon won't sufficiently police counterfeits so the original creator/vendor suffers the backlash and ruin of its company's reputation when angry buyers post horrible reviews of its products.
Even though I probably share Bezos' Washington Post politics, the consolidation of Bezos' wealth and Amazon's practice of squeezing smaller companies by selling items at a loss, are a turn off. I should be able to just end my relationship with this company, but I weakly keep going back to the every now and then convenience.
39
I wonder if there are other shoppers like me - I’m simply overwhelmed by the seemingly infinite choices on Amazon - thus I avoid it now. Despite the conveniences, etc., it makes shopping more onerous - with so many possibilities, how can I possibly simply pick what one I need? The psychology of marketing is what’s behind it - big deeper into the site and spend more.
I want a store to make shopping easier for me - narrow it down. I just want to go, make a choice, pay, boom - no setting up a new online account, passwords, giving my email for more marketing, etc. if I don’t like it, take it back for a return. Done.
In addition - the vastness of Amazon just plain reinforces buying, and buying ‘things’. In my fifties now, I want mostly to simplify and get rid of things I’ve already acquired. Amazon just encourages “more”. And then - all the packaging... Meh.
Like many things - Amazon is a choice, an excellent one when it fits the bill. But for the regular joy of shopping - it truly is therapy and fun - I think of the delicious aroma of perfumes on offer as I enter a Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Macy’s, and It reinforces the pleasure of shopping, and willingness to spend. Marketing simplified.
68
Citing the collapse of Toys R Us and Barney's NY as being caused by the "online forces" of Amazon is factually incorrect. The demise of Toys R Us was as much because of private equity meddling as competition. Barney's NY merchandise isn't even sold on Amazon; there is no Comme de Garcon or Chanel to be found there. Barney's demise was largely a factor of skyrocketing real estate costs in NYC.
Sounds all gloom and doom but not really. Just 10 percent of all retail transactions in the United States during the first quarter of 2019 were made online, up from 4 percent a decade ago, according to the Census Bureau. Retail is going through evolution not extinction. Many of the original stalwarts of this country's last 100 years in shopping are reaching the end of their lifecycle. Most companies over the age of 70-100 don't survive longer regardless of industry.
At some point soon, people will come to realize that the Amazon experience is terrible when purchasing clothes and other 'high touch' products that require all senses and that Amazon is not always even the lowest price.
139
@Jb I'd also add that Sears' downfall has very little to do with Amazon. The CEO thought it was unnecessary to invest in the stores, and had some very odd approaches to retail. Plus it seems he is happy to kill the stores and sell off the real estate, never mind all those jobs he wanted to "save" in the bankruptcy hearing
Some companies, as the article says, are doing well as brick & mortar retailers. People are looking for something other than traditional retail.
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@J That's a good point about Toys R Us. I blame Bain Capital for handicapping TRU with a ton of debt. Otherwise, given the opportunity to update their online presence (their brick and mortar stores were profitable in their own right), they would have been even more competitive with Amazon.
I know because my husband and I would spend hours at Toys R Us, pushing our baby around in a stroller. We were still kids at hearts. We often found much better deals at Toys R Us and liked examining things up close, looking forward to the day we could spoil our children a bit. But then the stores closed just as our oldest child was showing interest in toys. We've been bummed since and Target and Henry Bear are poor substitutes for the giant, endless aisles of toys. It's just not the same feeling of awe that we had when we toured TRU or FAO Swartz when we were children.
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Nonsense. Toys R us was failing well before it was purchased by PE. Look around: do you see lots of toy stores thriving because they aren't owned by private equity?
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I think part of this is retail's lack of consistent basics- I once spent a full hour in Target looking for a flyswatter and was unable to find one despite it indicating it was in several aisles. I once spent a similar amount of time looking for simple black women's polo shirts and was unable to find where they'd be in the store. Store layouts are designed to keep you shopping but they can also be confusing and waste time.
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@Leah, I just tried in vain to find potato starch in two grocery stores. There are more grocery stores I can try but haven't got the chance yet. I am not sure it is a new problem, but online shopping has apparently retarded the improvement in basics such as layouts in physical stores.
MOPE - management of perspective economics. Keep saying things are great and maybe people will start believing it.
News flash - things are NOT that great out there for a huge number of people. REAL unemployment is far higher than the official numbers. Layoffs are occurring even in this great economy - JPMorgan has been dumping people here in NY. Deutsche is in trouble and media companies have been laying people off. Bankruptcies are continuing in retail because PEOPLE AREN'T BUYING. All those people working in Amazon warehouses don't make up for the jobs lost in retail.
Look at all the empty storefronts in Manhattan - you're seeing them in the affluent suburban villages as well. Who are supposed to be filling these places?
We've seen people in their prime earnings years laid off. They are lucky to find something at half their old salaries . Some are still looking after 3 years. Health insurance costs go up, local taxes aren't deductible anymore. people are taking out second mortgages to help pay for college. People aren't spending money they don't have.
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@cynicalskeptic
People are spending money they don't have; that's how you get the seemingly contrary stories that consumer confidence, AND consumer debt are at an all time high. The people who are spending themselves into debt read stories like this and convince themselves that prosperity is just around the corner; it's just been a little slow in reaching them.
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@stan continople
Those spending what they don't have didn't learn anything last time around. Or maybe some did. One family sat in a house of almost 5 years without paying their mortgage or taxes. This is in a good housing market. Why the bank didn't foreclose.....????
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@cynicalskeptic
You are not the only one appalled at people touting how "great' the economy has been for years now. There are a tremendous amount of extremely negative trends, many of which will worsen over the coming years.
1.5 percent GDP growth is not great, it's terrible.
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Weird that the article overlooks the central reason my wife and I and most of our friends love Amazon: We hate, Hate, HATE going into physical stores. HATE it. If I never have to go into another store, wander poorly organized aisles or departments, search in vain for someone to help me, then stand in endless lines to buy something, it won't be a moment too soon. Large stores are terrible places. Just awful.
Department and grocery stores have it all wrong. In the old days, people didn't put up all of that because they just loved the experience. They put up with it because they had no choice. It was the only way to shop. And now that this new model is here I will never set foot in a physical store unless I absolutely have to. For now that still means groceries and something I need absolutely immediately, or something that is just too unwieldy to ship.
Basically, as soon as I can get run-of-the-mill groceries delivered to my home in my town, I will only go to stores for specialty foods (the fish market, produce I want to inspect, baked goods, etc.), home improvement items like lumber of bags of soil, or high end specialty goods I need to feel and touch--say a fancy leather jacket or some other such luxury thing. Everything else is coming from Amazon.
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I agree completely. This year I vowed to try and give brick-and-mortar a fair shot and purchase things in person for the holidays. Two hours in, I staggered from the mall in a fugue state, my senses deadened by the endless blare of hideous holiday music as well as the many aggravations described above. Most stores contained very little choice for the items I was seeking, and staff were either blasé and unhelpful, or pestered shoppers continually so nobody had peace in which to browse. What happened to creating a comfortable, welcoming environment for customers? Consumer consultants who wanted to implement behavorial manipulation techniques to try and part us with more cash, I suspect. Instead it has just driven us all away.
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@AGM I agree. I've been ordering books from Amazon since my college days, from back when it was mostly a used book retailer. I once went to the university COOP bookstore, looking for a famous Russian novel. It was not there! You would think instead of devoting aisles and aisles of sweatshirts and teddy bears, they would think to stock more um, books. More recently, I went into a Barnes and Noble looking for some very popular political memoir that came out that week. After spending ten minutes hunting down a sales associates, I was told that they had run out of copies and that they can order a copy for me to PICK UP in-store. Urgh, no thanks. Both times I had to order from online.
Believe me, I try very hard to find things at Brick and Mortar stores, but it's often a waste of time.
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@AGM Amazon will never imitate the experience of a Bon Marche (Paris), a Rinascente (Milan) or the new Nordstroms (NYC). But I guess you have to be a lover of fine tailoring and fit to appreciate the difference. As one commenter so eloquently put it - it's the difference between fine dining and going to MacDonalds. I'll save up for the fine dining experience, thank you.
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One hour before my son's high school jazz gig at a local club, he realized that he forgot to buy a music stand (or tell me that he needed one).
We walked down the street to the neighborhood music store, chose among three options of music stands, and were home in 25 minutes. My son had time to walk to the club with his new music stand in plenty of time.
Amazon's got nothing on our fabulous neighborhood stores. I live in an expensive urban neighborhood, but it is more than worth it.
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@Cousy
Neighborhood music store? How many neighborhoods do you suppose have one of those...
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@A. Simon Evidently at least one in New England and fortunately, that commenter lives near it.
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Let's face it Amazon and Walmart own the retail world. We don't make much of anything any more and our professional service businesses are becoming algorithm shops sans professionals. The only bright spot may be the "winner-take-all" worlds of entertainment and sports. I guess bread and circuses have come full circle
Since capital is now king with labor being so cheap, Karl Marx would feel justified.
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I used Amazon Fresh for the first time this week. My local grocery store (having been gobbled up by Kroger) replaced most of the lanes with extremely finicky self-checkouts that never work properly and the lines now snake around the aisles.
Amazon gave me a two-hour delivery window and delivered everything on time and perfectly.
If retail wants to cut costs by eliminating cashiers and stealing our most important commodity—time—then it deserves to wither and die.
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@Paul
Were items marked up?
What was the delivery fee?
Did you tip?
I loved the convenience of online grocery shopping but felt ripped off that chicken cutlets with a visible price tag of $3.99 a pound were $5.99 a pound if delivered.
And they wouldn’t give me the store receipt to see how else I was price gouged. No thanks!
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Not for me and my family, I hate grocery shopping but I will always want to see produce and meats first-hand before buying.
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@Paul, I believe Prime Now is cheaper than Amazon Fresh.
Be sure to tip generously. Gig work isn't easy.
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I’m surprised that an article that is this in-depth on this problem ignores the issue of what it generally feels like to shop in a department store. The checkout process involves waiting behind several other customers while the cashier engages in a very slow process of scanning and painstakingly folding each clothing item, then dealing with a coupon verification process and payment which for some reason also take forever. This is the part of the experience that keeps me out of old school department stores. There is no detectable hustle to get me out of there and on my way. I’m not looking for cocktails; I’m looking to get my shopping over with.
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@K D well, some of us actually like that experience. What's all the rush anyway? And cocktails are a lovely way to spice up my day of shopping.
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@K D
Besides, Amazon has a truly enormous and well-priced selection of almost everything which, if it is damaged or the wrong size or whatever, can be returned without a hassle or a long drive through traffic to the mall.
Also, most bricks and mortar stores of any size lack knowledgeable sales personnel—or any visible personnel on the store floor at all. If there are sales personnel available they often have to compete for available sales registers.
I buy many dozens of items from Amazon every year, saving me many dozens of trips to various stores, all of which are at least 10-20 miles round-trip from my home. I am “green,” so I count this as one of many benefits of shopping Amazon.
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@ mon ray Are birds bringing (and returning) these Amazon packages to/from your door? There is plenty of fuel being burned to ship, surely you understand this. And I've never seen an electric or even hybrid Amazon vehicle on the road.
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So long as efficiency remains the name of the game, Amazon will continue to win customers because Americans like a certain finite set of brands and products, and the last I checked, there's nothing one can get at Macy's they cannot get easily on Prime without the cluttered, chaos of dealing with a Macy's.
This is not the say the products on Amazon are any good - it's still the same old, same old, low quality products that Americans seem to like. I personally am always on the search for something better - and will/would certainly buy elsewhere for something unique, different and of better quality. I would totally welcome the Macys of the world to up their game a bit and do different, better. Please.
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There is a basic rule of business (and life): find a niche and fill it. If retail wants to survive and thrive, then they need to stop racing after Amazon. They need to be 180 degrees away from Amazon: personal attention and service, shopping experience not available online, etc.
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@sjs
Expensive business model, requiring higher prices to cover the higher costs. Sounds like a real niche market.
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@Biggs
People are willing to pay more to get more. There is fast food and there is fine dinning.
There can be fast shopping and fine shopping.
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@sjs Especially for fashion stores! I've spent time in some at the mall where everything feels and looks cheap and it doesn't appear to be designed for any particular age group. It's especially hard to find things in popular but 'niche' fashion such as finding a band t-shirt for a band you actually like
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The article depicts our cultural flaw of eating our young. All rushing to get it cheap and fast at the expense of jobs, values and integrity. I am done with shopping on line. I will go to the store from now on and interact with a human being and touch the item I want to buy, preferably at a local small business.
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@Richard Johnston I wish you luck. I needed a single fitted sheet and went to five stores (!) yesterday trying to find one. I wasted time and gas, wandered around a newly renovated and unfamiliar Target becoming increasingly more frustrated, and came home empty handed. Who benefited from that?
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The Target employees know where everything is or can find out Target bed and bath product is waaay better than a hit and miss from Amazon. And they have same day delivery now. I just did this last week. There was no way I was going to deal with Amazon on bedding.
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@Richard Johnston “All rushing to get it cheap and fast at the expense of jobs, values and integrity.”
........enter, China, Mexico, Bangladesh....etc, etc.
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To offset Amazon's size advantage
What would happen if the major or even smaller retailers started teaming up. Just a random thought ... What if they shared their distribution systems?
I've seen different examples of companies sharing resources/ costs. For example, the Capital One Cafes are combination of Captial One Bank and Peets Coffee. I'm sure they're sharing the cost of leasing the retail space, at the very least.
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