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Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

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Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#81

Post by manigandham »

usrusr wrote: post #32
corytheboyd wrote: post #11

This is a really good idea! I love my small businesses but being coddled by the internet is so real, you get used to immediately finding exactly what you want. With local stores, you have to put in some work sometimes, and ghasp talk to real people, potentially a few, at different stores, to get what you need. It sounds like a lot written out like that, but the important bits are that the people you talk to, you lear…

> and ghasp talk to real people, potentially a few, at different stores, to get what you need. That's really an issue: if you aren't the hard-boiled, super unemphatic negotiator type you'll likely buy the very first thing a salesperson has invested face-minutes in, if it just gets the easy 80% of requirements/desires right. "Thanks for your time, but I'll go see if there's another offer that is maybe 3% better or 2%…

Haggling is tiring and mostly useless considering the time and energy expended. There's a reason most shopping has gone towards standardized list prices without negotiation, and this happened way before Amazon existed. Even the large purchases like cars and real estate are trending towards upfront pricing now.

Now recommendations by a store expert are a different thing, but local businesses are again limited by recommending only what they have in stock, not what's actually best for you. I've rarely found anyone who would actually tell me to go somewhere else to get what I need.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#82

Post by lazide »

matsemann wrote: post #62
Kalium wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Last weekend, I went looking for a particular kind of garment. I wasn't hopeful, but I thought I would give local shops a chance. I did it by going around, looking in various local stores, and talking to people. I did this in four or so different spots. I spent probably three to four hours at it. After that process, I was no closer to the garment I sought than I had been when I woke up. What I had learned from my eff…

Could your need have been satisfied with another product available locally? Was your need for that exact product really only created by browsing online? For instance I could spend hours reading reviews about power washers and finding the perfect model and then lamenting it not being available at my local hardware store. Or I could just buy whatever corresponding product they have and be just as happy.

In my experience - half the time you’re right. Half the time the local shop product literally will not work, or if it works is incredibly outdated (so very expensive for performance) or so crappy it will be overtaxed during use and break in weeks or days.

And I’m in a major metro area.

When I lived in the sticks? It was more 25% solid, 75% crap.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#84

Post by turbinerneiter »

f6v wrote: post #79
turbinerneiter wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> They build spaceships, fight disease, and finance science. Businesses used to pay taxes so the public could do all that. Nowadays Amazon competes with local stores, while not paying taxes, which that local stores can't avoid. So these billionaires, evil or not, are concentrating wealth on themselves and shape the world to their liking. And their linking isn't the best for society as a whole. That doesn't mean that…

> And their linking isn't the best for society as a whole. See, how can you judge whether it’s going to end up bad if we’re in the middle of it?

What kind of question is that? What are you arguing for?

Do you think extreme concentration of power and wealth is good? Do you want to be free? Do you want to elect your leaders?

Again, this is not about SpaceX and Amazon and other companies. These companies do cool and good stuff! The topic is the concentration of power and wealth and the negative externalities of that.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#85

Post by vorpalhex »

greenie_beans wrote: post #69
londons_explore wrote: post #60

Small business near me never seem to have online catalogues or stock levels. Hunting for a specific product (for example a washing line) might involve walking into 3 different shops and guessing which shop might sell what you need. When you arrive in the shop, they always arrange aisles differently so unless you have 20 minutes to hunt you might not find it either. Whereas online it's a simple search and click "buy n…

I’m sorry, I can’t help but point out that you could call the store before you left your house. And when in the store, you could ask a sales associate for help. Just sayin!

Prepare to be on hold a very long time and be subjected to the person who answered the phone flagging down a coworker to go physically check the isle.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#86

Post by danuker »

usrusr wrote: post #32
corytheboyd wrote: post #11

This is a really good idea! I love my small businesses but being coddled by the internet is so real, you get used to immediately finding exactly what you want. With local stores, you have to put in some work sometimes, and ghasp talk to real people, potentially a few, at different stores, to get what you need. It sounds like a lot written out like that, but the important bits are that the people you talk to, you lear…

> and ghasp talk to real people, potentially a few, at different stores, to get what you need. That's really an issue: if you aren't the hard-boiled, super unemphatic negotiator type you'll likely buy the very first thing a salesperson has invested face-minutes in, if it just gets the easy 80% of requirements/desires right. "Thanks for your time, but I'll go see if there's another offer that is maybe 3% better or 2%…

> but I'll go see if there's another offer that is maybe 3% better or 2% cheaper

I'll go to 3 stores, and just ask for the price and say "Thank you! I'll come back when I'm decided."

That way, there is minimal haggling, and I know I'm not getting completely ripped off. Still, it's more work than just checking online. But depending on the price of the item, it may be worth it.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#87

Post by jturpin »

sokoloff wrote: post #38

I’d be happy to support local merchants, but they have to get the overall value proposition somewhat competitive. For the most part, they aren’t. Maybe it’s pricing, selection, policies, hours of operation, or some combination, but other than grocers and large chains, I’m not even sure they’re trying. Amazon is winning by serving the customers. Local shops will continue to have a hard time if the primary value prop i…

Before Amazon, if I needed a specific electronic component, my options were Radio shack or a specialist hobby shop. Both were incredibly expensive and often didn't have what I need. Ebay and Amazon have been an absolute game changer and I'll be happy if I never have to set foot in a hobby shop again, which anecdotally had grumpy staff that seemed annoyed by my presence.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#89

Post by qudat »

greenie_beans wrote: post #69
londons_explore wrote: post #60

Small business near me never seem to have online catalogues or stock levels. Hunting for a specific product (for example a washing line) might involve walking into 3 different shops and guessing which shop might sell what you need. When you arrive in the shop, they always arrange aisles differently so unless you have 20 minutes to hunt you might not find it either. Whereas online it's a simple search and click "buy n…

I’m sorry, I can’t help but point out that you could call the store before you left your house. And when in the store, you could ask a sales associate for help. Just sayin!

> I can’t help but point out that you could call the store before you left your house. And when in the store, you could ask a sales associate for help.

This is still worse than going to amazon and doing a quick search, seeing a ton of different products that satisfy your needs, and reading reviews from people that bought them. Then when you purchase it arrives in a day. Fake reviews aside, this is vastly superior.

Re: Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

#90

Post by SquareWheel »

alimbada wrote: post #56
Acrobatic_Road wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you don't want to use Amazon...then just stop using Amazon. No browser extension required.

Odd you're getting downvotes for this. As if to say people have so little self-control that they absolutely can't boycott Amazon without involiving a technical solution.

The parent said "that helps people lessen their support of Amazon". Nobody said anything about boycotting Amazon.

One can still shop at Amazon while appreciating a reminder to shop locally from time to time. Maybe they're going into town the next day and can pick up that item locally instead.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

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