Why are stores like FYE dying?

[lastcall190]

Amazon Fresh exists. I didn't sign in to my prime membership, but how fast does it deliver already?

EDIT: I was too slow in my response. I also like looking at fresh produce in person. Items like canned veggies, pasta, sauce, etc. I would have no problem buying online. I just like some peaceful time on a Saturday morning going shopping.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

Amazon Fresh exists. I didn't sign in to my prime membership, but how fast does it deliver already?

I think right now it depends on your location. How close you are to a distribution center. I know it's in Boston but not the suburbs. Yet.

 

[SVT-BansheeMan]

If i want music, since i dont d/l illegally, i just pull up youtube and make a playlist. I dont ever have to buy music. On a PC, i use a youtube add blocker add on in firefox. When i shopped for headphones, i watched online review videos before buying my Sennheiser's.

A big reason we order online is we dont want to take the road and drive 20 to an hour in bad traffic. But most important, we dont want to deal with the general public!

 

[rotor_powerd]

The speed, convenience and selection from Amazon puts brick and mortars to shame for 90% of products that I buy. I needed a surge protector last night, so I pulled out my phone, spent no more than a minute on Amazon, and now that surge protector will be at my doorstep tomorrow. That would have been at least an hour round trip to go into town and browse the limited selection at whatever store, only to wind up over paying for something that I don't really want.

I don't see Best Buy being able to compete for much longer, they offer no value other than instant gratification.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

In 10 years or so you'll be shit outta luck.

I don't see Walmart, Target or BestBuy going anywhere.

I would have never purchased our 80" TV sight unseen. Reading reviews doesn't make up for what the eye sees in person.

 

[281CJ]

I don't see Walmart, Target or BestBuy going anywhere.

I would have never purchased our 80" TV sight unseen. Reading reviews doesn't make up for what the eye sees in person.

You realize that TV's in the store are the most inaccurate place to view a TV right? Thye usually crank up settings to make them look best under the super bright lights. Either way, it will look much different once you get it home and properly color calibrate it.

Also look around the web, BestBuy has been slowly closing locations. Walmart is surviving by being one of the cheapest, worst places to work.

 

[Steve@TF]

the one major thing that is great about shopping online is the reviews. you can see what other people think about it. unfortunately Az seems to be getting hit with fake reviews looking to prop up products but for the most part it works. remember the old days of buying something at the store and later finding out it sucks and keeps breaking etc and you cant return it any more. something that looks really good in the store but then you look it up online and find out it only works half the time and for about six months at that lol. i tend to over-research stuff now lol.

one current example. i just bought the big wooden playground set at costco. ive been shopping online for months. some other sets at other stores seem to be bigger and have better features for similar pricing but then you read the reviews and find out about poor instructions, missing parts, pieces breaking etc... saved me from a $1k massive headache. the one i got at costco had great reviews and so far its going together like butter.

 

[Steve@TF]

Also look around the web, BestBuy has been slowly closing locations. Walmart is surviving by being one of the cheapest, worst places to work.

i hope BB doesnt go under. just bought a 65" samsung from them with a 5 year warranty lol. was going to buy the same tv at costco but BB came in a few hundred cheaper plus 0% financing for 18 months.

im cool with buying many things online and having them shipped but im leery on stuff like a tv. i know people have had good experiences with buying tvs online but plenty have had bad as well. and we've all seen the videos of the ups guy tossing a tv over the fence lol

 

[Serpent]

Stores are disappearing, but they arent going anywhere. Who cares if you have to drive 20 minutes to get something the same day, most of the time 1-2 hours of when you need it. Most of the time shipping will take longer than a day and then you have to be home to get that shipped product (signature required or possibly stolen). Also have to deal with the shipped product getting damaged.

All in all, stores will continue to be around as long as they price match with amazon and other reputable stores. Most of the time I'm not patient enough to wait for shipping (X many days to arrive). Then when it comes to the arrival, UPS/Fedex man delivers 8:30pm at night.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

I don't see Walmart, Target or BestBuy going anywhere.

I would have never purchased our 80" TV sight unseen. Reading reviews doesn't make up for what the eye sees in person.

I see you being disappointed in the future.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

You realize that TV's in the store are the most inaccurate place to view a TV right? Thye usually crank up settings to make them look best under the super bright lights. Either way, it will look much different once you get it home and properly color calibrate it

I'd rather see it in person and have the remote in my hand to play with the menus, adjustments and see it versus just looking at pictures online. I'm sure I'm not alone on this.

We bought a massive sub-zero fridge when we built our house last year. Again, not something I would purchase online. Too many things I want to inspect in person to trust to some photos on a website.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

I see you being disappointed in the future.

We will agree to disagree.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

Stores are disappearing, but they arent going anywhere. Who cares if you have to drive 20 minutes to get something the same day, most of the time 1-2 hours of when you need it. Most of the time shipping will take longer than a day and then you have to be home to get that shipped product (signature required or possibly stolen). Also have to deal with the shipped product getting damaged.

All in all, stores will continue to be around as long as they price match with amazon and other reputable stores.

Yep. 100% agreed.

 

[BrunotheBoxer]

Stores are disappearing, but they arent going anywhere. Who cares if you have to drive 20 minutes to get something the same day, most of the time 1-2 hours of when you need it. Most of the time shipping will take longer than a day and then you have to be home to get that shipped product (signature required or possibly stolen). Also have to deal with the shipped product getting damaged.

All in all, stores will continue to be around as long as they price match with amazon and other reputable stores. Most of the time I'm not patient enough to wait for shipping (X many days to arrive). Then when it comes to the arrival, UPS/Fedex man delivers 8:30pm at night.

Amazon will start delivering items the same day very soon. How long can brick and mortar survive by price matching amazon? It's a business model that is not sustainable.

 

[lastcall190]

FWIW I ordered a tool off Amazon the other day and had the choice to pay 5 bucks for same day delivery. Would've come in still cheaper than Home Depot. Some items (I'm not sure how it figures out which ones) can already be delivered same day if ordering soon enough. Might help that they just opened a distribution center in Carteret, which is about an hour from me...

-J

 

[SolarYellow]

Retail stores are not priced competitively these days. Of course there are a few exceptions. Look at Gander Mtn.

 

[Stanley]

I ordered my washer and dryer from Amazon recently. In 2012 I ordered my 60" Panasonic plasma TV from Amazon without issue. It did barely fit in the back of my wife's Explorer though, which would have been embarrassing.

My brother had a similar TV and I did check it out in the store first, so it wasn't totally sight unseen.

I found that Walmart beats Amazon on most of my non-perishable grocery items. If it's close in price I prefer to use subscribe and save just to not have to worry about it.

 

[Serpent]

Amazon will start delivering items the same day very soon. How long can brick and mortar survive by price matching amazon? It's a business model that is not sustainable.

Not sustainable yet Walmart is #1 company by revenue.

Some B&M stores are closing, but others are doing well. Maybe people want to see the item they're shopping for in person? if the price is matched online, whats the point of ordering online, waiting for shipping, get it in a few days vs buying right then and there?

 

[Steve@TF]

just wait till you can only order a new car online. no more dealerships to see them in person or test drive. just add it to your cart and the next day a drone drops it off in front of your house!

 

[Blown 89]

Their business model became obsolete when state and feds decided the internet should win. That is slowly changing, but way to late for a lot of businesses. Putting value in being able to walk into a store and talk to someone who knows the product is not being suckered. Because of guys like you, and you have plenty of company, stores can't afford to pay anyone that knows anything anymore.

You are right, there are a lot of people like me and that's why those companies are going out of business.

You sound like someone who's 60 years old and doesn't quite get the internet. E-commerce sites are generally heads and shoulders better than the websites that brick and motars offer. When it comes to something like high end audio the information they provide is also miles better than what store employees pretend to know. The buying experience is better, prices are lower, selection is better, the shopping experience is quicker, they usually have better return policies, the sales people know more.....there isn't just one reason why they're going out of business. Their entire business model is flawed and failed to evolve.

If you don't think you are getting suckered you're the easiest sales mark there is. Many people look to car salesmen for advice and as car guy we all know they generally don't know what they are talking about. Audio is even worse. They are referred to as audio molesters for a reason. Let me guess, you overpaid for Monster Cables back it the day because some "expert" making $8 an hour told you to?

Wait until Amazon starts selling groceries that will be delivered within hours after ordering them. Plus I won't pay monies for the privilege of shopping at a store. Not gonna happen.

They already do that but you have to pay through the nose for the service. Our local grocery stores fees for doing so are a lot cheaper. I've thought about paying for delivery but the store is close and my son and I enjoy going down there.

If i want music, since i dont d/l illegally, i just pull up youtube and make a playlist. I dont ever have to buy music. On a PC, i use a youtube add blocker add on in firefox. When i shopped for headphones, i watched online review videos before buying my Sennheiser's.

A big reason we order online is we dont want to take the road and drive 20 to an hour in bad traffic. But most important, we dont want to deal with the general public!

For less than the cost of one CD I can stream a massive music selection from Google Play. Subscription services and youtube is definitely the way to go. There's a slight quality hit in doing so but the market has deemed it worth it. The quality isn't as bad as it once was so I'm happy.