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How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

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Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#191

Post by icebraining »

msutherl wrote: post #176
CitizenKane wrote: post #171

This is already happening in China. Because of the nature of shipping companies here it's not unusual to buy a product (typically off of http://taobao.com ) and get it later that day or the next day. Many of these businesses are based in Shanghai and if you live there delivery happens nearly instantly. One online shop, http://cheers-in.com/ delivers cold beer in Shanghai in 1 - 2 hours from an order. Stuff like this…

Great for consumers like us, but terrible for all of the people who work ridiculous hours under constant stress on warehouse floors or do deliveries day in and day out. I try to buy from brick & mortar shops purely because running a shop is a job that has a shred of dignity left in it.

Yes, everyone who deals with the general public knows how unstressful and dignifying that is. That is, besides having to deal with blatant sexism[1], extreme ignorance[2], elderly genitalia[3], stealing[4], destruction of property[5], physical violence[6], bigotry[7], etc.

[1]: http://notalwaysright.com/man-up-and-let-a-woman-fix-it/2136...

[2]: http://notalwaysright.com/spyware-is-strength/21253

[3]: http://notalwaysright.com/at-least-we-know-her-natural-color...

[4]: http://notalwaysright.com/to-conjugate-a-thief/20886

[5]: http://notalwaysright.com/customers-can-be-tiring/20828

[6]: http://notalwaysright.com/cuffed-red-handed/20707

[7]: http://notalwaysright.com/bigotry-gets-served/20336

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#192

Post by stevenwei »

msutherl wrote: post #176
CitizenKane wrote: post #171

This is already happening in China. Because of the nature of shipping companies here it's not unusual to buy a product (typically off of http://taobao.com ) and get it later that day or the next day. Many of these businesses are based in Shanghai and if you live there delivery happens nearly instantly. One online shop, http://cheers-in.com/ delivers cold beer in Shanghai in 1 - 2 hours from an order. Stuff like this…

Great for consumers like us, but terrible for all of the people who work ridiculous hours under constant stress on warehouse floors or do deliveries day in and day out. I try to buy from brick & mortar shops purely because running a shop is a job that has a shred of dignity left in it.

I can't help but think that both of those jobs (warehouse/delivery) will be obsoleted in the near future with the development of more advanced robotics.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#195

Post by btilly »

icebraining wrote: post #191
msutherl wrote: post #176

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great for consumers like us, but terrible for all of the people who work ridiculous hours under constant stress on warehouse floors or do deliveries day in and day out. I try to buy from brick & mortar shops purely because running a shop is a job that has a shred of dignity left in it.

Yes, everyone who deals with the general public knows how unstressful and dignifying that is. That is, besides having to deal with blatant sexism[1], extreme ignorance[2], elderly genitalia[3], stealing[4], destruction of property[5], physical violence[6], bigotry[7], etc. [1]: http://notalwaysright.com/man-up-and-let-a-woman-fix-it/2136... [2]: http://notalwaysright.com/spyware-is-strength/21253 [3]: http://notalway…

If you like that sort of thing, http://www.actsofgord.com/ is a bit old but very, very cathartic.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#196

Post by Tichy »

rickmb wrote: post #189
wheels wrote: post #54

Amazon has been doing this in parts of Germany since 2009. The results haven't been nearly as dramatic as the article predicts. As others have indicated, the limiting factor isn't so much speed of delivery as the inclination to physically inspect items before buying them. That said, Zappos, now a part of Amazon, has succeeded in doing that in one of the markets that tends the most towards such. Even so, there are sti…

I suspect it's partially in American thing. In most European cities, the shops are around the corner. There's little effort involved, so Amazon doesn't sufficiently offset the advantages of instant gratification and being able to physically see stuff to make such a dramatic impact. Also, the different European attitude towards regulation has resulted in many cities actively protecting the kind of independent stores t…

Can't say I agree - shopping feels like a huge waste of time to me. Living in a big city in Europe, but still a shopping trip will take at least 1h. Of course for other people it is heaven.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#197

Post by desas »

robryan wrote: post #177
ShabbyDoo wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you contest the charge with your credit card provider? I can't imagine that Amazon would contest such a claim.

Without looking I'd be nearly certain that Amazon isn't going to take the hit for chargebacks on the marketplace. Appart from costing a heap it would just be inviting fraud.

If they're like paypal they just don't contest and pass the hit on to the seller unless they can prove otherwise.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#198

Post by justincormack »

steve8918 wrote: post #100
AncientPC wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is a uniquely American thing. Similar to Dell's failed entrance into Asia, Americans are uniquely content with purchasing plenty of merchandise without ever physically examining the product.

Amazon has an absolutely amazing return policy. I've only returned an item once, but it was a $400 USB video adapter that didn't work with my monitors. I just printed out a UPS label, and returned it to the closest UPS store for free, and I got an instant refund.

Yeah but outside the US we don't have UPS stores much. Posting a parcel here in the UK involves queuing at a post office for quite some time. Makes returns much harder.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#199

Post by justincormack »

eswangren wrote: post #81
AncientPC wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I suspect this is a uniquely American thing. Similar to Dell's failed entrance into Asia, Americans are uniquely content with purchasing plenty of merchandise without ever physically examining the product.

Why wOuld I feel the need to inspect a book before buying it? I am working under the assumption that no pages will be missing. It's worked out fine thus far. You do realize that purchasing items over the Internet has been working well for some time now, right?

I have once bought a book with missing pages. Not common though.

Re: How Amazon’s ambitious new push for same-day delivery will destroy local retail

#200

Post by dlgeek »

muhfuhkuh wrote: post #75
Caerus wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I only picked that because it was the example in the article. Looking at my recent Amazon purchases: Amazon: Oxo Coasters $9.99 for 8 Walmart: Comparable set, Silicon Coasters $30 for 6 Amazon: DVD Rack $29.99 Walmart: Comparable model from same company, $39.00 Amazon: American Crew Pomade, $21.49 for 2 Walmart: $16.98 for 1 Amazon: 13 Watt CFL, $15.98 for 8 Walmart: Same model, $16.88 for 4 Those were the first 4 it…

In almost no category that I've sampled has Walmart ever been the absolute rock-bottom cheapest compared to several places (Big Lots, Dollar General, local grocery chains, Amazon... even Target, believe it or not). People, however, can't go to Amazon to get infant formula, a car battery, ammunition, and a jar of pickles at 1AM and have it in hand immediately. Walmart used to be about "made in the USA", then it was "a…

The whole point of the original article is you'll soon be able to order all of those (except the ammunition) from Amazon in the morning and have them on your doorstep when you get home from work.
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