Chrome extension recommends local businesses while shopping on Amazon or eBay

> 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% cheaper" isn't something that feels good to all people. The asynchronous experience of online shopping (and before that: mailorder) is a huge enabler to people who aren't the haggler type. And because the haggling mindset is a learned skill, I'm afraid that it will only get worse the less people grow up shopping face to face. To future generations, every shopping experience that isn't online or at least highly formulaic self-service like in a supermarket will feel like the haggle scene from Life Of Brian (and just as alien as the one after that).

But obviously a total amazonisation of all buying would be terrible nonetheless. What I'd love to see: a site like those price comparison directories but not so much focused on cheapest but on local availability. Current stock, proximity, opening hours and price, they are all important.

Actually I should have gotten my ass up and looked for funding years ago, or at least part-timing it on the side (I'm not the haggle type, right?). It would all hinge of course on integration interfaces with whatever systems local dealers already use for managing stock, because those claims world need to be reliable or else it would all be futile.

It may take just a minute to enter your contact and payment info, but then it takes half an hour to figure out their returns policy, shipping fees and delivery windows.

I buy a lot more from tiny businesses if they operate on top of Amazon's platform.

> Type in a bunch of stuff, Search around, click cookie consent buttons, avoid newsletters, log in, enter your address, put in your credit card, etc.

This is the reason why so many stick with Amazon. You gave them your data already and the only thing remaining are the dark patterns which wants to sell you prime but you probably have that already too so you don't have to wait 2 days.

Also: their computer/phone/tablet is on already.

I honestly buy a lot online because it is convenient. I let it send to my workplace and I don't have to go to the city wasting the few hours that I have left of my day.

There are things though I need to go out to shop. Cloths and food and I can't remember a single trip I enjoyed. I need to look in several shops before I find proper and fitting cloths (I'm tall). If sices would be a true standard I could rely on, this would be the next thing I'd do online. Groceries means shopping in supermarkets which are always too full and I need a parking spot since I got to take a car there because I'm doing it once a week only. I tried doing it through Amazon and it failed spectacularly. It never arrived but they only they told me at 9PM...it was Saturday and there are not many shops open at that time here in Germany.

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 is “we’re more expensive and not as good, but we’re your neighbor, so you owe us!”

I try every so often to use a local shop. Maybe I need a common appliance, lawn mower, or small engine part. If they have it on-hand, I’ll pay 5x the online price to get the job done today. I can only recall one time where that worked. “We can get it for you” only to find out that means a week and 4x the online price. “No thanks; I don’t want to be a bother...”

Our dishwasher door broke last Thursday; I fixed it in 30 minutes that Saturday afternoon with a $30 part I ordered on Thursday. Don’t even know how long it would take to setup a $150-200 repair appointment.

Seems to be more of an issue with your situation than in general. I've never had to sync up with the mailman, they just drop the package downstairs in my building (I live in a city). Same with UPS, FedEx and so on although sometimes those need to redeliver the next day. I go to amazon, order the item and then pick it up next time I'm downstairs. So much faster than checking the weather in an app, putting on appropriate outdoor clothes, going to a store, browsing their aisles for where they dumped the thing, waiting in line to checkout and so on. It's the difference between 2 minutes and 30 minutes of my time.