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[BoldonLad]

So do you ever buy online from someone local ? Or is you first choice Amazon etc.

In short, yes, bought online from a supplier not more than 1 mile from where I live. To be honest, not a conscious decision, he/she just happened to have what I want in eBay.

I don't think you quite "get it". I do not enjoy "shopping" for mundane stuff (eg number for the door, the eBay purchase in question), batteries, bulbs, a laptop, a TV, .... etc Online traders are therefore heaven, for me, and many others.

I would make a journey to a nearby town/city to buy, for example clothing, shoes. We (ie Mrs @BoldonLad and myself) typically go to the "big city" (Newcastle-upon-Tyne), once or twice a month, we sometimes buy stuff, well, Mrs @BoldonLad does, we have a few drinks, we have lunch, we might even visit an Art Gallery. Very decadent.

 

[matticus]

I may be an exception, but, as far as I am concerned, online prices would have to be significantly higher than the High Street to tempt me back to the High Street, for Appliances and similar Items.

Clearly there are lots of consumers who think differently:

"
When I sold furniture, people would stand in front of me and search for the item on line to see if they could find it cheaper, they would sometimes find it a couple of quid cheaper, decide not to buy from me as a result, and choose instead to order online. They could had me put the item in the back of the car for them there and then, that's convenience. I don't know of a single independent retailer in my industry, and this is from conversations with reps that cover pretty much the whole country, that doesn't feel the need to change the name of every item they sell to try to prevent people browsing and choosing with them, and then buying online.
"

What say you about these people (of whom I've seen lots of similar examples) ?

 

[BoldonLad]

How about a bit of consideration for the workforce ?

Is that:

1. the Nation's workforce?
2. All online retailers workforces?
3. Amazon's workforce?

If 3. do we have to be fixated on Mr Bezos, other (online) Retailers are available.

 

[BoldonLad]

What do you propose these adaptations will (or should) look like?

If I knew that, I would be making lots of money implementing them!

My more serious answer is, I have no idea, and, I don't believe anyone else has, it will evolve, just like the "original" High Street did.

 

[Deleted member 49]

Is that:

1. the Nation's workforce?
2. All online retailers workforces?
3. Amazon's workforce?

If 3. do we have to be fixated on Mr Bezos, other (online) Retailers are available.

What do you think....if your happy sat at home clicking a button to finance Jeff's next wet dream of space good for you.
Otherwise buisness as usual I guess...wouldn't want to inconvenience you.

 

[BoldonLad]

What do you think....if your happy sat at home clicking a button to finance Jeff's next wet dream of space good for you.
Otherwise buisness as usual I guess...wouldn't want to inconvenience you.

Don't you. ever read anything before commenting?

I may be an avid online shopper, but, I did not say I favoured or used Amazon extensively, indeed, in the two examples I gave (including a reply to your post), the on-line retailers were NOT Amazon.

 

[spen666]

Quite a lot here about convenience, that shopper's habits have changed because what they really want is the ability to be able to browse and order from the comfort of their armchair. That the high street needs up their game to compete. It's nonsense on stilts, the driving factor behind it is price.

Customers were, and are, more than happy to go to the inconvenience of visiting their local retailer, getting all the info they need, then toddle off home to buy the stuff online cos it's a little bit cheaper. A price the high street, or independent, would almost never be able to complete with because they're up against some mega corp that doesn't pay their taxes, or some drop shipper selling from their basement.
Now, with high streets decimated, they've largely removed that option for themselves.

I had a conversation a while ago with the owner of a, now closed, Christian book shop, who was telling me that people would come in and take a photo of the books info then scuttle off to buy from Amazon. People regularly want to take photos of my brochures, or will ask who manufactures a particular tile (like they have any idea about one end of a tile manufacturer from another). When I sold furniture, people would stand in front of me and search for the item on line to see if they could find it cheaper, they would sometimes find it a couple of quid cheaper, decide not to buy from me as a result, and choose instead to order online. They could had me put the item in the back of the car for them there and then, that's convenience. I don't know of a single independent retailer in my industry, and this is from conversations with reps that cover pretty much the whole country, that doesn't feel the need to change the name of every item they sell to try to prevent people browsing and choosing with them, and then buying online.

I've lost count of the amount of times someone has bemoaned the loss of the high street and the state of town centres to me, then when asked, told me how wonderful their Amazon Prime account is.

Convenience my arse.

And there we have the classic example of why some businesses fail

 

[spen666]

It's very simple for High St Retailers to remain in business. All they need to do is the same as any business and supply the services the customer wants at the prices they want to pay.

Consumers won't pay for services they don't want at prices they don't want.

 

[mudsticks]

It's very simple for High St Retailers to remain in business. All they need to do is the same as any business and supply the services the customer wants at the prices they want to pay.

Consumers won't pay for services they don't want at prices they don't want.

How are they supposed to 'compete' with the prices, opening times, or convenience, of a company that pays no or barely any tax, which cuts corners on workers rights, and who have such an extreme advantage in buying power, due to their monopolistic practices..

Exactly .??

Asking for an indie bookshop.

 

[spen666]

How are they supposed to 'compete' with the prices, opening times, or convenience, of a company that pays no or barely any tax, which cuts corners on workers rights, and who have such an extreme advantage in buying power, due to their monopolistic practices..

Exactly .??

Asking for an indie bookshop.

If they don't provide customers with what customers want, then they won't survive.
It's pretty simple really and it applies in most lines of business.

Your hatred of Amazon doesn't change the fact that to survive, businesses must supply customers needs, not expect customers to adapt to the business.

Amazon are not the only online retailer

 

[mudsticks]

If they don't provide customers with what customers want, then they won't survive.
It's pretty simple really and it applies in most lines of business.

Your hatred of Amazon doesn't change the fact that to survive, businesses must supply customers needs, not expect customers to adapt to the business.

Amazon are not the only online retailer

My dislike of the bezos behemoth is due to it's unfair, and unethical dealings,.
It has been allowed to operate using a special set of circumstances which has given it an unfair advantage

And left it's owner obscenely rich, whilst others suffer.

Yes that offends me, as it does others, hence they don't use it.

Does that unethical situation not bother you?

I'm aware it's not the only online retailer, I use some of the others, some of the time.

Your remark regarding customers not being willing to adapt isn't wholly true though.

I run two businesses both of which do require that my customers sometimes have to adapt to less than convenient circumstances.

But I'm still in business, making profits, and paying taxes twenty years later.

There are people who see value beyond mere price and convenience - thankfully

 

[theclaud]

If they don't provide customers with what customers want, then they won't survive.
It's pretty simple really and it applies in most lines of business.

Repeating the same mantra doesn't stop it from being simplistic cobblers, you know.

 

[mudsticks]

Repeating the same mantra doesn't stop it from being simplistic cobblers, you know.

Steady on there Claude with the

"Telling it like it is"

Thang


Mustn't be encroaching onto Shep's territory

 

[Rusty Nails]

I must admit to joining Amazon Prime for a free month’s trial to watch the autumn rugby internationals.

They finish this weekend so I must remember to cancel the free membership on Monday.

Otherwise, I don’t like buying from Amazon because of their unfair advantage over the High Street and their virtual monopoly. I do buy online as it can be easier and cheaper.

 

[qigong chimp]

If they don't provide customers with what customers want, then they won't survive.
It's pretty simple really and it applies in most lines of business.

Though not, strangely, the 'professions' who gird themselves round with self-interested protectionism. I'd sooner give my legal-services custom to a Lithuanian outfit for a fraction of the fees, but in this instance the customer has to put up with what the domestic legal profession wants for itself.