Amazon says it has more than 100 million Prime members

[Platapus]

I like to shop locally when ever I can. But one of the issues is that a lot of local stores either don't have what i am looking for or only have one or two options for me to choose from.

With sites like Amazon, I can pretty much always find what I am looking for and will have often many options to choose from. I might not always get the best price, but I do feel that I am getting the most choice.

When it comes to buying presents for people around the country, few things beat Amazon. Local shipping and gift wrapping makes this old Uncle happy.

That and the return policy keeps me using Amazon.

The only thing I won't buy from Amazon is books, which strange as Amazon started out as a bookseller. But we have a new B&N close by and I want to give them all my book business.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

That's true. Amazon is so big and smart now, it sucks all the O2 out of the room for many other vendors. But like Warhawk said, it's pretty hard to justify spending more time and cash to fight it. I will buy from non-Amazon frequently, when it's close in price.

Thats pretty much how I handle it with many product categories. I give a local shop - that is no chain shop! - a certain bonus, if they are friendly, but price differences I accept to my disadvanatge of course have an upper limit.

Stores belonging to some major shop chain - if that is the term used in English - that has flattened small family-run shops themselves in the past, I am not hesitent to "abuse". Why should I listen to their complaints about Amazon if they themselves have done with smaller shops like Amazon does with themselves now?

Books I almost always order in one or two local book shops now, both independent and not belonging to a book shop chain.

What I increasingly order via Amazon, however, are food specialities that are almost impossible to buy locally. Conimex Ketjap Manis is impossible to get in Germany now, if you can get Conmimex outside Holland at all, back in the 80s we could buy it in every supermarket over here. Italian Tipo 00 flour by Antimo Caputo for making Pizza dough and baking Ciabatta bread. Semola di Grano Duro. A certain - and expensive - Aceto Balsamico, the flask with 250ml costs over 40 Euros. Greek olive oil by Jordan. Roasted sesam oil by Yeoh that even Asian food traders over here often have in short supply, since it is the best. Stuff like that, that I cant get neither in local supermarkets nor on the weekly public market or in a specialised delicatessen shop. There are some essential ingredients without which my kitchen simpy does not run anymore.

[STEED]

The Corporation Wars?

Here in the UK Tesco is king of the supermarkets but could be about to be toppled as the No.2 and 3 Sainsbury's and Asda are on the verge merging.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43933517

Maybe Tesco can merge with amazon.

[Jimbuna]

Always buy locally if the price is not overly excessive but when online I have an admitted tendancy to compare like for like and go for the cheapest....every little helps.

[Platapus]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Always buy locally if the price is not overly excessive but when online I have an admitted tendancy to compare like for like and go for the cheapest....every little helps.

I believe that is called being a Capitalist.

As a Capitalist, i want to get the "mostest" while paying the "leastest". I have a difficult time sacrificing either or both to "localism".

Where a local store can excel is in service. Unfortunately, a lot of our local stores don't seem to care about that either and i feel that this lack of service attitude is a larger cause of small businesses failing than mega corporations.

I found this especially true with our local photography store. It is too bad, but the have communicated clearly that they don't want my business, but Adorama does want my business and gives me excellent, albeit, remote service.

[Skybird]

There are more consequences than just the desertification of inner cities and town centres, In Germany, the logistcs for parcel delivery are short before collapse. German Amazon Prime members do not get their parcels on time, and frequently so. There are neither enough capacities, nor enough workers willing to do this - extremely stressful - job for a poor man's loan. I did this jkob once for christmas season, 25 years ago. Already back then it was stress in purest forma. Today, with the volumina of deliveries increased by several factors and time pressure ad infinitum, I hate to imagine I would do it again.


https://translate.google.de/translat...tml&edit-text=

And how attractive is it in non-m,ajor cities to go to town if you stare at empty shop windows and deserted stores everywhere? Where there are no shops, there are no jobs. Where there are no jobs, people move away when the ycan. Staying behind are the old ones - depending on the supply structure of regional, local shops. Social distortions. Demography-induced problems for the infratsructure, and how to finance it for just a few old ones.

Capitalism is more than just counting coins for coins, Platapus, it also necessarily implies longtemr vision and strategy. And the respinsiblity that comes form realsing this . I do not mean these modern propagandistic catchphrases of "social justice" and "social repsonsibility", although I use the temr here. These terms as used today, mean nothing to me. I talk of the responsibility you naturally accept, if you are a sane person, when you see and realise the longterm dependecnies for your interest being embedded in functional communal contexts. Austrians know this. Classical economists understood this.

Capitalism is more than just "coin for coin". Capital means more than just money. Modern "economists" do not understand neither this, nor the meaning of money.

And monopolies, either in local store nevrionments, or in the web-based economy, once established always backfire against the consumer. Always. Dependency on just one supplier who makes the rules, never is good. Look at the state himself, biggest monopolist there is. Worst service, highest price, making rules as he pleases, changing treaties time and again and any moment just as he now wants them. Complete unreliability, complete dependency, complete vulnerability for us.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Platapus

I believe that is called being a Capitalist.

I call it fiscal common sense, not only looking after ones pennies but also supporting the local economy (which is much of what Sky is saying, correct me if I'm wrong) in the medium to long term.

I like many others I'm sure have seen the closure of high street businesses over the years and the trend is increasing.

I may be wrong but I'm comfortable with my beliefs and see no need to change.

A leopard cannot changes its spots

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

I call it fiscal common sense, not only looking after ones pennies but also supporting the local economy (which is much of what Sky is saying, correct me if I'm wrong)

Yep.