Amazon Is Crushing Main Street and Threatening the Vitality of Our Communities

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/corporate-accountability-and-workplace/amazon-crushing-main-street-and-threatening-vitality-our




It's that time of year—Thanksgiving holiday will be here soon, and we'll gorge ourselves on good food. And then we'll get to celebrate black Friday (the frenzy-filled shopping Friday right after Thanksgiving, which has actually encroached on Thanksgiving in recent years) and cyber Monday (the Monday after Thanksgiving when retail marketers encourage us to shop online). And, if we're shopping online, odds are good that we'll shop on Amazon.com. Maybe we should rethink that.

Even by the anything-goes ethical code of the corporate jungle, Amazon.com's CEO, Jeff Bezos, is considered a ruthless predator by businesses that deal with him. He has the monopoly power to stalk, weaken and even kill off retail competitors -- from giants as Barnes & Noble and Walmart, to hundreds of small Main Street shops.

If you think "predator" is too harsh a term, consider the metaphor that Bezos chose when explaining how to approach small book publishers to make them cough up ever-deeper discounts: stalk them "the way a cheetah would pursue a sickly gazelle."

Amazon's zip-zip, direct-to-customer Internet business structure ripped right through the segmented system of publishers, wholesalers, distributors, bookstores and big-box retailers -- and quickly became a monopolistic powerhouse. Today, this one corporation sells a stunning 40 percent of all new books, up from 12 percent five years ago.

[yourpicturehere]

1. Walmart already screwed Main St...

and Main St. tried to screw us...less selection and higher prices.

Also, there are NO bookstores within 70 miles of where I live, never have been. THAT tells you something about the culture in Jesusland.

[LiberalElite]

2. There still IS a Main Street???? nt

[Adrahil]

11. There is, but they are not selling socks and underwear.

When I moved to my current small city, the downtown was devastated. No life. But the local community has tried hard to get the downtown revitalized and it has worked. Now our "Main Street" (around here, it's Walnut St) is alive with restaurants (locals, not chains), coffee shops, nice bars, flower shops, a bike shop, a hobby shop, a paint-it-yourself pottery place, a couple art galleries, jewelry stores (again, not chains), and even a cross-fit gym! All these places offer experiences that online shops cannot, which is why they are thriving. For example, the Hobby Shop offers low-cost classes and offers related parts on sale at the class. The coffee shop does on-site roasting, etc.

[geek tragedy]

3. small bookstores were on the way out before Amazon

And this seems to be an example of an example of capitalism working:

Amazon's zip-zip, direct-to-customer Internet business structure ripped right through the segmented system of publishers, wholesalers, distributors, bookstores and big-box retailers -- and quickly became a monopolistic powerhouse. Today, this one corporation sells a stunning 40 percent of all new books, up from 12 percent five years ago.

So, it 'ripped through' a bloated, inefficient system of unnecessary middlemen that did nothing but add costs to consumers. Plus Amazon offered consumers better choice, more convenience, and better prices.

Its biggest victims has been Wal-Mart and Barnes and Noble, two companies that had already killed the small bookstores of America for all intents and purposes.

There are big problems with Amazon's labor practices, but the basic business model itself was something that in retrospect seems obvious and necessary.

[HereSince1628]

6. It ripped through an obsolete network of small retailers whose existance insured distribution

of books across a wide geographic area.

The potential of UPS-like business and the USPS to distribute books and internet digital catalogs killed bookstores.

In some ways, Amazon has greater reach into remoter parts of the US than bookstores ever did.

The internet is likely killing the printed newspaper and it's greatly changed the nature of what is a book, the nature of publishing and the nature of authoring.

[geek tragedy]

7. Bezos hadn't started Amazon, it probably would have been walmart.com doing this, nt

[HereSince1628]

9. Yes, remember pre-internet Sears and JC Penney cutting catalog sales???

I should've but didn't also mention that support for monetary transactions via the internet, making possible credit card/debit card use from home, as opposed to sending checks or money orders through the mail, greatly facilitated Amazon.

It also facilitates direct sale from publishers who use that mechanism. And that's how I get academic books from Oxford, U of Chicago and Harvard, which were never on hand and always special order and much less convenient to purchase through bookstores.

I can place an order on-line and have a book in 3 days...even in the remote country-side of WI. 30 years ago that couldn't happen. It required a trip to a bookstore, a special order, and usually a trip back to the bookstore to pick up the book when it arrived 5-10 days later.

I have nothing against bookstores, I loved browsing them as much as I loved browsing library shelves. I miss them both. Digital books don't have the wonderful smell of discovery associated with finding a long overlooked gem waiting on a shelf.

[Adrahil]

10. Good observations.

The reality is that things change. It is pointless.... Even useless to try to stop the change. It's going to happen anyway. Rather than rage at the change,we need to find ways to best shape that change in ways that results in a better experience for everyone.

[Adrahil]

12. I gotta say...

... As much as I miss browsing through the book store they almost NEVER had the book I wanted, or if they did have it, it had been browsed through by so many others, I was reluctant to buy it as a "new" book.

[geek tragedy]

13. and the universe of titles is only going to grow and grow

Just not feasible that brick and mortar could provide access, any more than Blockbuster could for videos

[cyberswede]

48. Good post.

Technology is what changed how consumers shop these days - Amazon was just the first company to capitalize on it.

When I was growing up, my mom did ALL her x-mas shopping with the Sears catalog (she had 8 kids at home, and didn't drive until the youngest kid was in 6th grade). I don't think she ever shopped at actual stores.

The internet (and Amazon in particular) just updated that concept and expanded its reach to more shoppers.

I'm sad that mom & pop stores aren't around any longer, but Walmart & big box stores did more to eliminate those types of businesses than Amazon, imo.

[pipi_k]

51. They certainly were!

Even the secondhand bookstores, which I bought from all the time.
Gone, and it was before Amazon became popular.


I won't buy new books except through Amazon, for my Kindle. And since there are no used bookstores in my area anymore (two of them failed within two years of opening) I often buy used books from Amazon as well.

[brooklynite]

4. I knew it had to be Alternet or Common Dreams....

Amazon isn't ruining brick and mortar stores, it's responding to a change in market demand. online shopping adds a measure of speed and convenience that people find appealing.

[yeoman6987]

30. I also like the idea that when I shop at Amazon,

I am saving on carbon in the Earth. Everyone really should only shop online and shop only once a month for groceries...yep stock up. If we all did this, we may just save the Earth. I am not saying just Amazon but any online retailer would help elieviate our carbon useage. We drive way too much individually as a whole. The only possible choice is if you literally pass a store going home from work. But stopping two or three blocks from your home to work route does not cut it and should never be done. We all are ruining the Earth as a whole.

[brentspeak]

50. Not surprising that Latte Neoliberals

resent actual progressive websites.

[brooklynite]

64. 1) I drink cappuccino, properly made (latte is for wimps)

2) based on the replies, I'd say you're in the minority.

[Nye Bevan]

5. Amazon is great for the environment.

Compare the environmental impact of:

1. Thirty people in a town drive their cars to the mall, circle around to find parking spots, go inside to buy their items (each of which was delivered on a truck to the retailer), go back to their cars, and drive home. Of course, those who could not find the product they wanted drive to another mall and repeat the process.

2. A single UPS truck drives through a town and drops off a package to each of 30 Amazon customers in that town.

[pipi_k]

56. Where I live

the UPS man is like God.

He travels probably 30 miles from the nearest UPS facility to deliver to my town.

Yesterday he brought: Some special knitting needles I had been wanting, organic Chinese white tea, and two items of dog medication I can't get at the local farm and pet store.

All from Amazon.

Free shipping.


When the road is too snowy or icy in the winter for his big brown truck, he drops my packages off in town at a neighbor's business, then the neighbor, who lives down the road from me, drops them off to me on her way home from work at night.

What a deal

[Adrahil]

8. You can't order the tide to not come in.

Online retailers have better selection, often better prices, and these days the wait is quite short. Brick and mortars are just not going to compete with that without offering something extra.

Some local book ships manage to survive by not so much selling books, but being event destinations (for readings, book groups, etc). Offer some coffee and pastry and maybe sell the occasional book. A local jewelry place remains viable by doing more than just reselling mass-produced items. They custom designed jewelry, on-site repairs, and genuine expertise (as opposed to the Zales sales clerk who went through a one-day training session).

In other words, local shops will have to survive by offering something online retailers can't... Service, and a unique experience.

Otherwise, the only retailers to survive will be food stores, clothing and shoe stars, and other places where the online stores can't yet offer a satisfactory experience.

[hatrack]

71. Oh, like the outstanding online experience Sears offers?

One of the heating elements in the oven went out, but Sears did indeed have the very part we needed.

When my wife ordered, the web site showed "In Stock - Ships Within 2 Days". After placing her order, she got a email confirmation, which let her know that the item she'd ordered was out of stock, and that arrival could not be guaranteed in less than 14 days, which placed arrival after the date which we'd set for her Mom's 89th birthday party (kind of a big deal) for which we'd need the oven.

Over the next two days, she spoke with no fewer than six different customer service operators, trying to confirm when the item would (or would not) arrive. Receiving no satisfaction, she then canceled the order, went to the local bricks and mortar appliance store, a local business, got the part and fixed the oven.

When the canceled order from Sears arrived the same day, we were surprised. When a second heating element arrived from the same canceled Sears order arrived the following day, we were even more surprised.

The mere act of placing retail online no more guarantees success than acceptance into a pre-med program guarantees a career as a world-class neurosurgeon -at least, if our experience is any indication.

[Adrahil]

74. Of course not. You still have to do a good job.

Amazon does a good job, IMO. They even provide a way for outside vendors to use them as a front end.

[hatrack]

79. Sears' problems, of course, approach the legendary at this point . . .

As I recall, they just booted their Randroid CEO, who believed that pitting workers and executives against each other would produce optimum results and maximum profits.

They got rid of him, but I'd say have miles and miles to go before they start getting it right.

[Adrahil]

80. Yeah, apparently required execs to read "Atlas Shrugs"...

... and then put her ideas into action...... and created a complete and EPIC cluster fuck.

[Vinca]

14. Local businesses can still make a living if they give decent service.

Just yesterday I was in a store where people were lined up 8 deep to pay for merchandise and only a couple of registers were open and manned by technically-challenged cashiers (damn you lady with the gift card). The guy in front of me asked if I thought we'd get out of the store before old age set in. The word "Amazon" was definitely running through my head.

[RobinA]

20. They Might Also

still make a living if they had stuff in the store. Last weekend revamping my aquariums...need a part of my filter system, figure I'll give money to the B&M. Go to the B&M, no part. Go to ANOTHER B&M, no part. Come home order from the the Internet. Same thing happened when I needed a particular kind of photo printing paper. My Best Buy used to have a whole aisle of papers. Go to Best Buy, ask salesman where paper is. Points to an endcap with one kind of basic paper. Go to Staples, no luck. Office Depot, no luck. Return home and order off the Internet. Did give business in both these cases to non-Amazon small specialty web sites.

This happens to me constantly, and almost always with stuff that used to be available AT THE STORE. I try to buy at stores, both chain and local, but they prefer not to waste money on actual inventory. And don't get me started on the large Ivy League university bookstore I was in a month ago after some time away only to find that this wonderful book mecca has become mostly a t-shirt shop. What few bookselves they actually had were roped off for inventory. I worked retail, since when do you not allow customers to buy stuff when the store is open? I was walking around the store with a thought bubble over my head with "Amazon" in big flashing neon letters.

Look, I love stores. Worked in one for years. But just how much of my time and I supposed to spend fruitlessly trying to give them my business?

[Nay]

23. A big amen to this. I also cannot count the number of times I've tried to

give a local store my business and then not been able to find the simplest of items, and then the store offering to order it for me. Well, I can do that myself on Amazon! And probably quicker and cheaper!

[Vinca]

70. I should have also mentioned my last visit to a local shoe store.

Do you think I could get any of the 3 clerks off their cell phones to wait on me?? NO!

[justiceischeap]

15. If you really want to look at what is killing brick and mortar businesses

look no further than this thing called the Internet. So, really, Al Gore killed Main St. shops. <= Joke

It was only a matter of time once the Internet was widely available to all and sundry that little (and some not so little) businesses would be impacted by online sales.

Like it or not, we're a capitalistic society and the list of places that I "can" shop at is becoming much shorter than the places I "can't" shop at. When I use Amazon, I try to use businesses that distribute through Amazon. This is for the free Prime two-day shipping but it also helps support another business not just Amazon (plus, I often don't have to pay taxes on items shipped from other states).

Another reason I use online retailers is because my hobby is photography. There is no store convenient to me (about an 1.5/hr one-way drive to reach my nearest brick and mortar store which is in another state) nor as price competitive where I can purchase most of the camera gear I use or want. However, there is an online retailer out of Georgia that I spend a lot of money with for used gear. They have a similar business model to Amazon...no storefront, just a warehouse of goods.

Did Amazon/Wal-Mart put the camera store out of business or was it digital camera technology? I'm going with digital technology and businesses that weren't savvy enough to diversify their sales to stay in business--meaning, too many camera stores were set-up around film photography and didn't expand to include computer sales, audio gear for video filmmaking, etc. to go along with camera sales and film processing. That is how two of the largest retailers in NYC stayed afloat and thrive today. Plus with the cost of retail property (not Amazon or Wal-Mart's fault at all but greedy developers), it just isn't feasible for most small businesses that have direct online competition to stay afloat.

All these articles do is point the finger at businesses that took advantage of what people want--convenience and competitive pricing.

[ileus]

19. I remember a college friend owned a car audio shop in 1990

He blamed me for ordering a CD player from Crutchfield instead of buying the exact same item off him for 100 bucks more. He said mailorder was what was killing his business.

I have a trunk full of Amazon boxes with another trunk full in transit right now from my DW doing Christmas shopping.


Sad news is the Kayak I was wanting to order was going to be 147 bucks to ship.

[justiceischeap]

22. Yeah, I think there are as many ways to kill businesses

and there are businesses. It's all about competitive pricing, which, I think is why so many companies use slave-wage labor. People complain about working conditions abroad or jobs going abroad but then we wouldn't have the prices we've grown accustomed to.

It's a no win situation, really. It's really hard to be a good consumer these days so all we can do is try the best we can.

[tabbycat31]

46. I think smartphones put the camera shop out of business

Many adapted when they transitioned from film to digital. But they probably lost $$$. I used to work for a drugstore and our one hour photo was so backed up you were lucky to get it that day (even after adding a 2nd machine). The photo guy was processing film all day long from the time he clocked in to the time he clocked out (and it was not just event season like holidays or proms). Now most of those photos are digital and people might get a handful of prints made, but not every shot they take.

Some business have adapted by selling digital technology (cameras, memory cards, etc) and others have not.

But I think what's killing camera shops (that have adapted) is smartphones. Mine has a 13MP camera on it (not the latest model) and it pretty good for my everyday photography needs and I have the ability to send the photo right then and there (or upload it to social media). I don't need to carry a camera around to take casual snapshots, I just use my phone.

I think to survive, camera shops need to discover the niche market of good cameras and more professional equipment as well as other electronics.

[justiceischeap]

52. Thanks for helping to make my point :)

Technology in and of itself is what is really hurting business. Does Amazon and Wal-Mart have crappy business practices? Yep, they do but so do/did some brick and mortar shops. Anyway, I'm not going to feel bad about shopping at Amazon because it's many, many things that have hurt "traditional" businesses, just not these giant online e-tailers.

As far as camera phones go, I have an iPhone and the images are okay for sharing on FB or Twitter but for my "serious" stuff, I prefer my DSLR and really good glass. Sometimes I even pull out my medium format film camera (bear to get images developed and really costly). The newest Nikon DSLR that just came out, the D750 has built-in WiFi, so the big three are catching up with that aspect of being able to shoot and share immediately. For most people though, their camera phones are sufficient--I view them as the Polaroid's of today.

[pipi_k]

57. I still have

an old 35mm film-using camera around here somewhere that hasn't been used in almost 20 years.

And I have two digital cameras that I only use very rarely, like when I want to get some kind of special shot using macro or a telephoto lens.

Otherwise, it's smartphone all the way. There are enough apps available for creating some pretty decent effects.

[GreatGazoo]

16. cars killed the buggy business, the "dime" store killed the general store,

airlines destroyed the passenger railroad business (in the US), personal computers destroyed the typewriter industry.

Player pianos put a lot of musicians out of work before the 78 record made music even cheaper and easier, then cassettes killed reel-to-reel before themselves being killed off by recordable CDs and now MP3.

The internet has destroyed many other businesses. Newspapers are dying rapidly now. Cable TV is fighting internet delivery of video media. And the internet eats its own too -- Google killed Yahoo, FaceBook killed MySpace. TimeWarner nearly tanked altogether when it overpaid for AOL (because TW's grey suits didn't realize AOL was already dead). Amazon's days are numbered but these things never go backward, the genie never goes back into the bottle.

The article describes a world totally reliant on Christmas shopping -- it tells us that "hundreds of small Main Street shops" can't make it without the once a year pop of Black Friday (?) I live in a small town, a strange small town but 5,000 people and a vibrant Main street. The stores that do the best are in no danger from Amazon because they serve their customers year-round. Two coffee shops, two bakeries, the wine store, the combination bookstore/art supplies/brew pub with wifi, the drug store, the vegan pizza place, the wine bar, the independent movie theater, and the beloved thrift store are all safe this year from any door busting, debt escalating madness.

[TBF]

17. I think Walmart already took care of that -

and taxation (where Amazon has warehouses at any rate - we pay tax on everything we purchase from Amazon.com here in TX) is leveling the field.

I'm still a proponent of small businesses but it is harder to find the downtowns of yesterday in small towns. That has something to do with the Walmarts/Amazons of the world, but also the exit of manufacturing. When I was small in the 70s my dad worked in a steel mill. He loved to take us to the department store occasionally for new clothes (we would drive to a bigger town than our own - about 40,000 people - and I especially remember the windows in the winter were beautiful!). Those factories are now gone and the downtown areas are much less spectacular than they were decades ago.

[Blue_Tires]

39. +1

this story is a good 10-12 years behind the times...

[TransitJohn]

18. How dare consumers shop how they want!

I lived for years in a smallish (30,000) town, Laramie, Wyo. I knew everyone and everyone knew me. The business owners are stupid, and don't really deserve to be in business. They consider the money of the townsfolk theirs, at their own convenience, not the shoppers. One music pro shop in town, and it doesn't carry string winders or guitar tuners. "We can order that for you." I can order it for me. Two carpet/flooring stores in town, and "we don't measure on weekends." So I had to drive to Cheyenne to Home Depot. 4 body shops in town, and after a big hailstorm, "We don't take hail damage. We can fit you in in 6 months." So I had to go to Fort Collins, where I was in and out in a day. They're really stupid. They deserve to lose out to Amazon if they won't make it convenient for consumers to give them their money.

[Bandit]

21. When you have crazy people walking around carrying assault weapons into the stores

why would anyone choose going to a store compared to shopping from your own home? I certainly do not want to take the risk.

[Scout]

26. oh my god n/t

[Inkfreak]

58. lol. (nt)

[Ineeda]

24. Online retailers, especially Amazon

changed my life. I don't drive, but I'm 'contributing to the economy' with much more vigor than when I had to rely on the kindness of others. My interactions with Amazon's customer service has been exemplary, unlike the horror stories I could tell about my experiences with many local businesses. Of course I would prefer Amazon be a good and fair employer. On the other hand, I don't know if the locals are any better. (And BTW, I never, ever shop at Wal Mart.)

[Scout]

25. i think i've only used amazon maybe 3 times for purchases.

mostly i only go there when someone points out sarcastic/comedic product reviews.

on the rare occasions i have money to burn, i shop my local bookstore and try to avoid chain stores.

[snooper2]

27. funny article LOL, I like the ending the best-

" This is going to be up to us grassroots folks. We need to let more people know what's going on behind that jazzy website, for Amazon is insidious, far more dangerous and destructive to our culture's essential values of fairness and justice than even Walmart would dream of being. To support the locally owned businesses in your community, visit the American Independent Business Alliance at www.amiba.net."

[jillan]

28. You have it WRONG. As an e-seller let me fill you in on what is happening to people like myself.

You know what is driving down prices on Amazon? Walmart. Since corporations are people, maybe I should rephrase my question - You know WHO is driving down prices on Amazon?

I'm sure you heard about Walmart's match low price. Well they have expanded that to online items as well.

So if I am selling a toy for Christmas for 3% lower than what you can buy it for at Toys R Us and Walmart is selling that same toy for 10% lower than Toys R Us - Guess what? I am forced to lower my price.
What does that mean for Toys R Us? Or the mom and pop shop? They are never going to sell that toy unless they lower the price as well.

First Walmart drove out the mom and pop shops.
Now they have their sights set on small business owners like myself.

[Blue_Adept]

29. Another week, another article like this

Getting to be regular postings from Alternet and the likes to rail against them.

[JNelson6563]

31. People decide these things.

I live in a small city in northern Michigan. People are fiercely loyal to the notion of buying local. Many years ago a new mall was built. JCPenney's left downtown for the mall. Downtown was hitting a rough patch and then this giant empty space...well a book store moved in. A big bookstore with coffee and food and lots of space as well as many books.

Cool shops come and go downtown but it grows. Farmers market does booming business. More restaurants open. People flock to downtown from far and wide. A second book store has opened (aside from the two or three used book stores) and they are making it. I stopped in two weeks ago to check it out, was surprised they had books (good ones) on my somewhat obscure topic of choice. I bought one.

The people here love having a vibrant downtown ("Mainstreet" as it were) and they know that to keep it they have to support it and they do. We have all the big box stores and they do ok, but our downtown has continued to grow, flourish even.

Check it out: Traverse City, Michigan. A great place if for no other reason it shows what can be done in spite of walmart, amazon, etc.

Julie

[librechik]

40. we liberals had to force the downtowns to do this--

if it hadn't been for the liberals who fostered the Urban Renewal concept (lots of which I disagree with) there wouldn't be a clue about the relationship between a vibrant downtown and the economy. Conservative 1%ers took advantage of the notion to make millions condemning rooming houses and building skyscrapers for upscale renting behavior. Now we have homelessness that won't be tolerated in our downtowns.

Nevertheless it's important to support and revive our town centers. Gas to drive to the suburbs won't always be so available and cheap.

[el_bryanto]

32. I don't think Amazon is going anywhere - but if you like having local bricks and morter stores

I'd suggest patronizing them. I have an Amazon Prime membership, and I use it, but I also make sure to visit my local shops for Music, Gaming, and Comics (our good music shop unfortunately shutdown).

Bryant

[WillowTree]

33. Yes, and I heard that Video Killed the Radio Star, too.

Today's Big Thing will be pushed out of the way by tomorrow's Big Thing. 'Twas ever thus.

[MohRokTah]

42. And that darned horseless carriage killed the buggy whip! eom

[pipi_k]

61. And what about

the garbage industry...


I remember, in my childhood, the garbage men coming around each week to empty the garbage pail (usually crawling with maggots) in the backyard.

Do we see (and smell) the garbage trucks making their malodorous way around our city streets anymore?

Trash, yes.

Garbage, no.

Garbage disposals have killed off a fine and honorable vocation.

[olddots]

34. conveience becomes inconvenient

Thats civic physics .

[msanthrope]

35. Get off my lawn!!! nt

[Ykcutnek]

36. The only thing on my Main St. is a bunch of thrift shops, lawyers, and inedible food. nt

[librechik]

37. we need a system that isn't entirely based on consuming and growth

can't blame Amazon for inventing a superbly convenient system of consuming.

They are going to grow until they can't. We need a better paradigm that elevates local businesses instead of drowning them in monopoly. Maybe we could start enforcing the anti-trust laws again. Someday in the future when we have a sane representative government again.

Sigh. We're all doomed.

[MohRokTah]

41. Love my Amazon Prime.

I'll not be ending that relationship any time soon. It works out best for me in my busy schedule.

[WillowTree]

45. Ditto, Ditto, and Ditto.

Saves me time, money and effort. My boss convinced me to give Prime a try for a year and now I wouldn't be without it.

And in addition to the savings and convenience, there's all the included streaming music and video. Very nice.

[pipi_k]

63. Free two day shipping, yet

occasionally I get my stuff the very next day!!


So they raised the price of it this year, but for the amount of stuff we order at my house, it's still a hell of a deal.

[XemaSab]

43. Amazon vs. Barnes and Noble

Amazon vs. Pier One
Amazon vs. Bed, Bath, and Beyond
Amazon vs. Best Buy
Amazon vs. Target
Amazon vs. Home Depot
Amazon vs. Macy's
Amazon vs. Walmart

Those are pretty much the choices here.

We have a used book store, a store that sells kitchen stuff, a store that sells local goods, and a few other stores, but most of the stores in town are giant corporate chains.

[tabbycat31]

44. I personally think Amazon can coexist with Main Street

I don't buy many books (I use my library for both paper and ebooks, I also have access to family member's library cards and use other library's ebook catalogs--- there's an app called Overdrive that I'd highly recommend.) The last book I bought was an ebook that was deeply discounted on Amazon ($1.99). Before that, I last bought a book at a used bookstore in rural Maine. (I really only buy books to use as reference books, otherwise I use the library).

There are some things that are harder to buy online. Sometimes you have to use your senses to shop around for what to buy. Amazon may show me a nice picture of the product and a pretty good description, but the smell and feel of the product you can't get from the internet. A good fuzzy sweater is something that you have to physically feel to test the fuzziness. If I want a scented candle, I want to be able to smell it first. I don't want to take other's words on how fuzzy the sweater is or what that candle smells like. In addition, anything that I have to try on (including cases for various devices) I prefer to buy in person. I could have saved a ton of $$ on my phone's screen protector by ordering it online, but I paid extra to buy it in person and have the employee of the mall kiosk install it for me (I'm not good at these things).

The Main Street businesses that tend to do well in my area are all consumables (coffee shops, bagel shops, restaurants, etc). I do patronize them over a chain (ok well the coffee shops have lost business from me thanks to me making my coffee at home instead of buying it). Locally owned businesses also have an ability to provide a level of service that a chain or etailer cannot. I buy my aquarium supplies and fish from a locally owned store as opposed to Petsmart because they know what they're talking about. They know that two breeds of fish won't get along with each other and talk me out of getting both.

But yeah I have no issue ordering many things online.

(Disclaimer, I'm an Amazon Prime member).

[Godhumor]

47. Amazon changed the way we shopped

No need to try and roll back a paradigm shift.

[KingCharlemagne]

49. Translation in Marxist terms: the bourgeoisie is killing the

petit bourgeoisie.

Tell me again why the proletariat (the working class) should give a shit to see two classes of capitalist exploiters at one anothers' throats?

[upaloopa]

53. When I buy books on Amazon I usually buy used books.

I get a list of various booksellers who offer the book for sale at various prices depending on the books condition. I would never give any of these book sellers my business without Amazon directing me there since they are not located in my town and the book is not available in my town.
Who sees this as a negative?

[ReverendDeuce]

54. Customers are changing as well, so don't blame Amazon...

On the Internet, I can research the product I want and make the most informed choice for myself. I can then purchase it at a competitive price from whomever I like. Frequently when I go into a local shop I suffer from limited choices, higher prices, and sales people that are bothersome and don't truly know their product. The sales people will push me into what they are selling that has the best margin for themselves.

Notice how many items on Amazon are not sold directly by Amazon, but by third parties using the Amazon storefronts. Others have the products drop-shipped by Amazon directly using Amazon's vast logistical resources.

I am surprised at how Best Buy and the like manage to stay in business. Their prices for large electronics and appliances are absurd. I have a 65-inch plasma TV I bought three years ago on Amazon because the local dealers wanted $1000 more than Amazon did. To hell with it!

[Paper Roses]

55. Between Amazon and WalMart, small business has been hurt badly.

In my small town, stores are going out of business left and right. Sad to see the way technology has pushed the small guy out of the picture.
I had a retail store years ago, if I was still in business, I know I would never make enough to pay the rent, let alone stock my store. (plus all other stuff like utilities, insurance etc.)

Sad to see and I can only hope things will get better for the small businessperson.
I am most concerned for the 'mom & pop' stores. Sad to see.

[L0oniX]

59. Alternate news: 1960's Bell Telephone says cell phones are killing their business.

[taught_me_patience]

60. People don't give a shit about small business PERIOD

I've had customers tell me, in my shop, that they were going to purchase something on Amazon because they thought they would save a couple bucks. This was AFTER I assured them that they wouldn't find it cheaper on Amazon, and if they did I would price match it.

[pipi_k]

67. OK so

even after offering this great deal, to price match, and the person says he's still going to order on Amazon, have you ever asked them the crucial question...

"Why?"

Maybe instead of matching the price you could have come in a few cents (or dollars depending on the original price) lower. Or offered to price match with a better reason for them to shop in your store, like half off another item, or a relatively inexpensive item for free, or whatever it took to gain (and keep) a customer.


All I can say is, if I see an item at a local store and it's a couple of cents cheaper there and I can get it immediately instead of waiting for it to be shipped, I will actually buy it at the store instead of on Amazon.

[tabbycat31]

73. I think it depends on the type of business

The problem with many Main Streets is that there's limited (if any) parking (of course this varies by location) whereas big box stores have massive parking lots, shopping carts, etc.

I'd rather buy a heavy item like a vacuum cleaner in a place where I don't have to physically carry the thing (put it in cart, pay without taking it out of cart, lift from cart to car), or online where I don't have to carry it at all.

But for other things, Main Street is thriving. I'd much rather eat at a locally owned restaurant (in my price range of course, 5 star dining is not) than say an Applebee's. I'd much rather get my coffee from a local coffee shop than Starbucks. Neither of these require lugging around a heavy item. But Main Street has to be within reason too. If my choices are the 5 star dining restaurant where a meal starts at $50 or Applebee's, I'm choosing the latter (I'm not a fancy restaurant type). If a local music shop is charging $20 for a CD that I can get at Best Buy for $10, then I'm going to Best Buy. Some of my stocking stuffers this year come are things like local jams from the farmers market (and I'll be buying from a local candy shop too but closer to xmas so it's fresh).

I also live in a touristy area and there's a boardwalk shop that I LOVE. It's beachwear (I can't imagine that when temperatures are in the 20s as they are now), novelty items, and souvenir type items (postcards, shirts, stickers, etc). I wear a hoodie all the time with this town's name on it that I only can buy at a local shop.

But in my town (1.5 miles away from above mentioned one) more than half the local shops are vacant. There used to be a shop in town that always had cute clothing in the window, but I went in to realize that most of their items were out of my price range (3 figures for a pair of jeans). If they had been reasonably priced, sure I'd shop there. (They've since closed). But the reasonably priced local bagel shop has lines every day. (Maybe a good lesson for a local business is know your audience. Don't open an upscale clothing shop in a moderate income town, don't open a dive bar in a majority senior citizen town, etc).

[cyberswede]

62. I think "main street" businesses are adapting

In my small town (pop 3500), for instance, our downtown has:
- fair trade coffee shop (also serves sandwiches/salads for lunch)
- tux shop
- movie theater
- feed store (includes hardware & paint)
- 2 dollar-type stores
- several restaurants/bars
- 2 hair salons
- 24-hour access gym (there are 2 or 3 in town)
- consignment store
- antique/vintage shop
- 2 dance studios

A lot of these are service-oriented businesses - things that aren't readily replaceable via the internet.

[csziggy]

65. Local stores need to do a better job of getting information to customers

Two instances I have dealt with:

1. Local specialty shop that supplies items that are best selected in person. The owner does not have regular hours and you pretty much have to call ahead and make an appointment to make sure the shop is open. I've been in the shop twice. First time, in the middle of checking me out the owner walked away, disappeared for ten minutes, came back with no explanation and finally finished the transaction. At the same visit I special ordered an item. Never heard back, never got the item, the owner has never said anything else about it it - in four years. I called ahead another time to check availability and to make sure she would be open. Got there, had to wait (after calling her again) for her to open the shop and then found out that the item I had called ahead about was NOT in stock, that she never carried it, and she "just want to get you in the store to see what else I have." It's a forty mile one way trip for me to her store. I wasted an afternoon and a lot of gas going to buy an item she NEVER had in stock. I went home and ordered the item (plus some extras) from a website.

2. I want to buy a selection of teas as a Christmas present. I have online sources, but thought I would try to find them locally. I'm sure there must be shops in this town that have teas, but I can't find them. They are not listed in the Yellow Pages, either in the physical phone book or online. I found one tea shop but their website does not say if they sell teas or just are a tea cafe sort of place. I tried calling - no one answered the phone. I am not going to spend days driving all over the area to look for stores that do not answer their phones and have no information online about their merchandise.

It's ten miles for me to get to anywhere and the vehicle I get to use is my truck that gets 13 miles a gallon. I'm going to select the items I want online tomorrow and be done with it - even though I would prefer to buy locally.

It's frustrating to see how customer service at local stores has gone downhill. I used to be able to call stores to check on availability. A very few stores would do the bait & switch - tell you they have something in stock to get you in the store in the hopes you'd accept something different - but most locally owned stores were honest about what they carried and if possible would special order items.

If I want to browse for things, I'd like to have at least a little idea of what kinds of things a specialty shop carries before I make the effort to drive a long way to look. It's not that hard to put up a little information on a website or even Facebook and to update it occasionally - the first shop I mentioned has a Facebook page. They moved last February but their old location is still on the Facebook page. In all those months, the owner has not taken the time to update with her new location and has never made one post to Facebook.

Given how many stores have closed, if I call and there is no answer, I will assume the store is permanently closed, not closed at that particular time. If the store has shortened hours, they need to put a message on their phone line stating their hours so potential customers know when they can visit. And PLEASE put up your location with an address - the tea shop I found has a website, but no address is listed on it or in the yellow pages. All they say is they are inside "Mandy's" - no address for Mandy's, no indication of what Mandy's IS, no phone number for Mandy's.

Sorry about the rant - I am frustrated that I want to buy locally but cannot without spending a lot of extra money (in gas) and more time than I am willing to spare - because the local shops are not doing their job of getting information to potential customers!

[dilby]

66. Maybe it's time for Main Street to change.

Who wants to walk down Main Street and see big box stores selling, computers, vacuums, furniture and a bunch of crap that requires huge parking lots? I like the main street by my house thank you very much, it's full of services like restaurants, cafes, breweries, tattoo parlors, hair salons, live music venues, coffee shops, ice cream shops, comic book store, used book store, local art store and so forth. It's local people providing local services and selling local products which is keeping local dollars in the community. It doesn't matter who I give $1200 for a Dell computer, only $50 would stay in the community if it was sold at a local shop and I can put more money into my community at a local restaurant in one night so I would prefer to keep the restaurants and say good bye to the big box stores.

[ecstatic]

68. Amazon allows 3rd party sellers (aka Main St).

Businesses need to adapt to this century, when possible.

[madfloridian]

69. I love Amazon. I love Amazon Prime.

[closeupready]

72. Me, too. I disagree with some of their labor policies, however.

I'm not sure how to reconcile that disconnect.

[madfloridian]

75. Amazon and Etsy. And Abe Books.

My favorites. People are getting a chance to sell things that are hard to find anywhere else.

[alphafemale]

76. Especially in the Holiday season.

Near zero aggravation.

Free Two Day Shopping Rocks.

[nichomachus]

77. Malls killed Main Street -- long before Amazon came along n/t

[Broken_Hero]

78. Amazon has a lot going for it,

was at a local CD store yesterday looking for the latest ILL Nino cd and she didn't have it in stock, and offered to order for me for no charge. The kicker was, the order would take 2weeks to get to the shop so I declined her offer. For local business I imagine its incredibly hard to compete with Amazon, but I've seen some stores(game/comic stores) price match Amazon and have done so for over 4yrs.

I use Amazon primarily for magic the gathering cards/comics/used books, finding any of those at local stores is incredibly difficult.