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Shopping Sucks Now

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Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#111

Post by ghaff »

paggle wrote: post #63
jkhwleroiu wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wouldn't mind paying a few pounds for them to let me browse the products. Maybe this is a viable business model.

Another approach is the manufacturer showroom. They don't care where you buy it so they just try to induce the demand.

But it's not very common. I expected showrooming to develop into a more formalized thing but it really hasn't. I guess between Walmart and B&M chains like Best Buy that have managed to stabilize for the most part, there hasn't been a compelling need for manufacturers to establish a showroom presence.

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#112

Post by sofal »

wool_gather wrote: post #57
nerdponx wrote: post #6

Or stop trying to hyper-optimize? Buy from a handful of trusted brands; if it doesn't work out, don't buy from them again. Like what people did before all this information was available.

Where do you get your initial trusted list from, and what do you do when "it doesn't work out" and you need a replacement supplier?

What I tend to do in that situation is to do a master's thesis level of research of every forum post and review I can find until 2 weeks and 750 browser tabs later the existential angst wipes out all my desire to buy the item and/or to live.

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#114

Post by tartoran »

smacktoward wrote: post #32
egypturnash wrote: post #12

When I was living in the PNW and realized I direly needed gloves, I just hit up a few of the department stores downtown until I found some that met my criteria. Which are probably similar to those of this author, I wanted some that looked cute, had a conductive patch on the finger so I could use my phone without taking them off, would fit on my long hands with long fingernails, and weren’t super expensive gloves desi…

I think the key to the article can be found in this passage: > [T]he problem is that now, somewhat suddenly, perfect knowledge of the perfect glove, for you specifically, exists, if you simply do enough research. When you're shopping in a physical store, you have no expectation that you're going to find the absolute, one-and-only perfect glove (or whatever) in the world for you. Even in the largest stores, you unders…

This is true for online dating or other online experiences of ... plenty of choice.

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#115

Post by AnimalMuppet »

refurb wrote: post #53
nerdponx wrote: post #6

Or stop trying to hyper-optimize? Buy from a handful of trusted brands; if it doesn't work out, don't buy from them again. Like what people did before all this information was available.

Exactly. Unless your decision has lasting, serious ramifications on your life, just make a decision.

Well... make a fairly fast decision rather than an optimal one.

Say I'm looking for something that costs $20 online. I might look at three or four sites. I might take five minutes. It's not worth it to take more time.

Say I'm looking to rent a ski chalet for a week for $3000. Now I'm taking considerably longer - probably at least an evening, followed by letting it sit in my mind overnight.

Let the size of the purchase scale the amount of time you spend looking for a better answer.

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#116

Post by AnimalMuppet »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #82

It'd be great to have an automated shopper that somehow correlates what you buy + like to what (you would buy + like) . In some regards this is what targeted advertising is supposed to do, but most of the time it's just showing me the things I've already bought. I was telling my boss the other day that I wished there was an AI that I could give a budget, say $100 a month, and it would automatically and incrementally…

For that bot to have sufficient information, you're going to have to give up a lot of privacy...

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#117

Post by mikeyouse »

arkitaip wrote: post #59
mikeyouse wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Brandless is pursuing something down this line: https://brandless.com/

Brandless makes no sense to me. They mostly buy from China and their products are more expensive than they should be (their product descriptions don't offer any arguments why, at least). They claim to be health and environmentally-conscious but there's no relevant information to read on the product pages. Take this random Brandless product: https://brandless.com/products/stainless-steel-wooden-turner Why on Earth wou…

I think they're trying to convey a sense of trust across all of the items they offer through their parent 'Brand' which is a bit ironic given the name. Ideally they only offer eco-friendly items and that relieves the consumers of the burden of making that choice for themselves. As noted on other Acacia products, it's a fast-growing renewable wood.

https://brandless.com/products/acacia-wood-cheese-board

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#118

Post by TheRealWatson »

loblollyboy wrote: post #90
bartread wrote: post #67

Sorry, but I just can't get on board with this point of view. Shopping has always sucked. Badly. Going to the shops has to be one of the single most annoying and unpleasant day to day experiences I deal with[1]. If you live anywhere even remotely populous when you visit the shops there are people milling around just ####ing everywhere. Dithering, dawdling, standing around chatting at every choke point in the aisles,…

Sounds like you just hate people

I had the same impression.

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#119

Post by awinder »

maerF0x0 wrote: post #82

It'd be great to have an automated shopper that somehow correlates what you buy + like to what (you would buy + like) . In some regards this is what targeted advertising is supposed to do, but most of the time it's just showing me the things I've already bought. I was telling my boss the other day that I wished there was an AI that I could give a budget, say $100 a month, and it would automatically and incrementally…

There’s sites like this:

1. https://www.trunkclub.com/

2. https://www.stitchfix.com/

I gave them both a try and had some success but wasn’t that into it, but they’re supposed to kinda build price/style profiles over time. I just decided I wanted more control / I wanted to research things to death (this article hit home).

Re: Shopping Sucks Now

#120

Post by AnimalMuppet »

0x262d wrote: post #79

Buying things sucks now. This drives me nuts all the time and is one of many reasons I want a democratically planned economy. In addition to too many choices to meaningfully use, the vast majority of them are trying to essentially trick you into buying them. The drive for each glove (or whatever) manufacturer to increase profits causes them all to buy fake reviews, use cheap materials, imitate the style of the authen…

Hard pass. I admit the corruption (wasn't the FTC supposed to be about preventing false advertising?), but your alternative is worse.

It won't actually be "democratically planned". It will be as democratic as a "democratic republic". It will be bureaucratically planned (by your salaried people). Historically, that has worked out badly. It hasn't worked out with the consumers being happier. Yeah, I know, "this time will be different, because we'll hire the right people". I'm very skeptical.

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