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In my small town, Amazon is the only retailer for a lot of items I simply cannot get locally, or that are too expensive. I don't like the situation but it's a godsend to rural residents.
This year I did online black Friday and cyber Monday shopping instead of in the store. I wasn't going to deal with the manic crowds. Which meant shopping Amazon.
Before going to a store I usually check what they have online first. If it's a clothing item I like I've learned to go to the store to try it on before purchasing it online and paying for shipping. Sometimes the store will honor the online price so you get it right then and there. Other times they say sorry and tell you that you have to get it online to get that price.
With most stores you can get something online and have it shipped to the store and then go pick it up in the store while paying less for it than if you purchased it in the store. Online prices are usually less if you want to save some money.
I go for value and try to save a few bucks. However, stores are learning to compete. This year for black Friday and cyber Monday Target price matched Amazon on the Instant Pot online which was a big time seller.
I'm part of the 50%. I love Amazon and I get free shipping on a lot of stuff because of Prime.
The reason I like it so much is that I loath shopping. It is a torture that takes at least an hour by the time you figure in driving, parking, wandering around a store looking for what you want, and then waiting in line. With Amazon I am done in 5 minutes.
I did almost all of my Christmas shopping on Amazon and then a few other small store websites for specialty items. Rough guess would be I bought half to 2/3 on Amazon. Didn't step foot in a brick and mortar store.
I don't use it, I find that smile on the box creeps the beejeesus out of me
I think it looks like a penis.
But I use Amazon all the time. The prices are competitive, free shipping on many items, fast delivery and they have excellent customer service IMO.
In my small town, Amazon is the only retailer for a lot of items I simply cannot get locally, or that are too expensive. I don't like the situation but it's a godsend to rural residents.
How do you feel about the Amazon retail giant?
I find that hard to believe, and I live in a small town outside of Houston. I think that people shop on Amazon vs. other online retailers because they don't want to bother to comparison shop. This is especially true for Prime members. I have found everything I have wanted to buy online on other retail sites also, and more than 90% of the time, they beat Amazon's price.
In my small town, Amazon is the only retailer for a lot of items I simply cannot get locally, or that are too expensive. I don't like the situation but it's a godsend to rural residents.
How do you feel about the Amazon retail giant?
I'm ambivalent to Amazon. I use it when it benefits me, otherwise I don't. Here are some random thoughts:
- They're not the cheapest sellers for all products. They broke into the market with low prices but now they're basically coasting on their reputation. They also are eliminating free shipping and pushing everyone to become "Prime" members, sometimes by not allowing you to buy products even unless you are a member and pay a yearly fee.
- Oddly, all the people who complained about Wal-Mart "destroying" Main Street love Amazon and Amazon is way worse than Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart maintains a physical presence. Amazon isn't even in the community. Your location reads small town Tennessee. Obviously, in rural Tennessee there aren't a lot of consumer choices for things. But consider that if you buy from Amazon because it costs less, there's even less of a reason for a store to remain open in rural Tennessee. So it closes and now Amazon is the monopoly where you live. I'm not opposed to that, but you should keep it in mind because Amazon usually jacks up pricing as it becomes more of a monopoly. I have encountered way fewer awesome deals on Amazon as time has gone by. Now it's more like "save $1 on a $50 item."
I have a young friend who would love for there to be no local retail and only Amazon.
He's an idiot.
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