The Amazon App That's Driving Retailers Crazy

The upside for independent retailers is this: any customer you lose to these kinds of antics probably wasn't a customer worth your time & energy anyway. If they're just using you for a stalking horse, chuckle at them as they wander away fondling their iPhones and turn back to taking care of your real customers.

There are a dozen ways to legally jam the WiFi &OR& cell-phone signals in almost any retail store. Any that do so should tell any complainers to talk to AMAZON. Any that don't do so aren't smart enough to survive in a tight economy, anyway.

Isn't amazing that we, as consumers, gleefully participate inactivities that devastate local economies....all in the pursuit of 'the cheapest price'?

Why is I see is less and less choice, small businesses struggling or being driven out, and local tax bases taking the hit. With the loss of those businesses go jobs, community support and a viable economic system.

So, yeah...those of you who keep chasing the 'cheapest price' chimera....just keep on what you're doing, but don't complain about the condition of the economy and how so many people are out of work. You're contributing to the problem.

I only buy online if I can't get an item locally. I like having the convenience of local stores if something breaks and I need to replace them quickly. And we won't have local stores if we do all of our shopping on line. But there does need to be some equality in taxes. Either the internet stores should have to charge taxes or the local stores should be exempt from them.

Of course Amazon doesn't include the shipping costs in their on-line price comparison. You also have delays in arrival, and if you have to make a return, you have to trust the mail-in system. If you or your intended victim wants to make an Exchange - lots of luck.

Welcome to the information age. If your business model depends on uninformed consumers, you are SOL.

I went to Best Buy to look for a software program for my computer and found it for like $100 and then I looked on Ebay found it for around $60 and no tax. Well Ebay won.

Maybe states should eliminate sales tax and then their brick and mortar store will be on the same playing field. It is always easier to blame a company like Amazon for governmental failure. It is called misdirection and magicians use it to trick an audience. In this case, the government uses it to trick the population they represent.

how is this considered "anti-competitive" must be some more of that washington double-speak.

The free market only works effectively to the benefit of all producers and consumers when there is a level playing field. Either require the sales tax for online purchases or abolish the sales tax for brick and mortar businesses. Government Representatives need to get the job done or resign.

Shopping on Amazon includes Shipping Fees!!! This jacks up the price COn-si-derably!

the only problem with this is that it allows Amazon to basically borrow a local showroom for products without paying for that. the biggest problem with online buying is that you don't get to see the item first, to evaluate its quality and so on, something that can only be done in person, at a store. This app works around that "problem", in a way. allows the person to decide while in the store, rather than after he goes back home and looks it up on the net. allows an outside competitor to be present in the store.

I doubt this senator gives a rats ass about mom and pop shops. She probably got a phone call from walmart or taget execs

Sorry, but I'm a huge Amazon supporter. Are there actually people on here complaining on how to find the best price for stuff? My guess is you're the overpaid CEO's of the large stores who are worried that you may not be able to buy your next Ferrarri. Amazon didn't kill small businesses. Giant conglomerations like Walmart did.

I know a guy who finds what he wants in a local store and buys it, then he goes home and orders one online as cheaply as possible, and when it arrives he takes the one he got online back to the local store for a refund. More trouble than I'm willing to go to, but he likes getting whatever it is right now today (benefit of brick and mortar) and also getting the best price (benefit of ordering online). I can only imagine the chaos that would ensue if everybody started doing what he does. Heh.

I think people shop based on four things.

Price
Convenience
Delivering what was promised
Making the shopping event a pleasant experience

It is rare to get all four in one shopping event. I doubt that many businesses who can't get at least 2 out of four right consistently can survive, be they online or bricks and mortar.

bummer maybe prices will go down

I love it, i want to see business SUFFER until we can FORCE the lowest possible prices imaginable on all items--destroying capitalism overnight--and leaving only ONE giant alive. Muuhahahahaa!

Back in the day when the idea of a home PC was just taking hold, there was a PC dealer in every strip mall. People would visit the stores, make their comparisons and buy on-line or mail order. The only ones that complained then were the PC stores AND their employees. Now that AMAZON is taking that model to the next level the cry babies are coming out of the woodwork. Hey, why don't you spent your time constructively. The real problem is MILLION dollar salaries paid to professional athletes. Those guys do nothing but drain the economy and drive up pricies for the rest of us. Athletics is great during the formative years while one is getting an education. Once that is done it's time to hang up the Nike's, get a job and contribute your efforts to the success of our great country.

Reminds me of our garage sale. People showed up with scanners and went through boxes of books and DVDs - checking prices. They ended up buying a lot, and we had some good conversations in the mean time, so I didn't really mind.