I've noticed some older folks taking pride in supporting local even if means spending more, my gen, they don't give a f. We're saving the money and getting it delivered to the door. If it doesn't fit, the return shipping is paid. Local business hate dealing with returns and it's a hassle 50% of the time.
I've noticed some older folks taking pride in supporting local even if means spending more, my gen, they don't give a f. We're saving the money and getting it delivered to the door. If it doesn't fit, the return shipping is paid. Local business hate dealing with returns and it's a hassle 50% of the time.
I wonder how long the returns will be as easy as they are now. almost everything returned to the big online retailers goes straight in the trash as it is not worth looking at or trying to sell again, how long can they afford that. Once there is less choice I would bet returns get cut off.
I wonder how long the returns will be as easy as they are now. almost everything returned to the big online retailers goes straight in the trash as it is not worth looking at or trying to sell again, how long can they afford that. Once there is less choice I would bet returns get cut off.
I wonder how long the returns will be as easy as they are now. almost everything returned to the big online retailers goes straight in the trash as it is not worth looking at or trying to sell again, how long can they afford that. Once there is less choice I would bet returns get cut off.
Some shoppers order three things and return the two they don't like.
I noticed that thingamabobs were getting harder to get, once Walmart entered the arena.
I expect that it will get worse with online retailers, or you'll have to wait six months for shipping.
Places only want to sell the most popular items.
I've seen some articles written about Amazon's product return issues. It is incredibly wasteful and destructive. Companies like Amazon force sub-retailers who sell through their online platform to offer free returns but their distribution network is set up to be efficient for pushing product out to their customers but not for dealing with returns - and then there's the whole problem of what to do with the returned product itself. Maybe it really doesn't work, or maybe it was the wrong colour, or maybe the consumer simply changed their mind. A lot of the time, it goes in the garbage. Incredibly wasteful.
I really think the best thing would be to ban free returns for online retailers, and if the economics doesn't force it, environmental and consumer-protection legislation should. Apply minimum re-stocking charges, and require the end user to pay the return shipping (and that's going to be expensive, if the vendor in question is in China). If the product really was defective/inoperative then eat the re-stocking and shipment charge but the only choice should be a replacement product - not money back. Can't decide which colour of sweater you want? Decide first, don't order three and return two. Not sure if you trust whether a particular product is going to do what you want it to do? Then don't buy it. I suspect the cost of re-stocking and return shipping would exceed the total cost of many smaller products, especially if the actual vendor is overseas.
Yes, I do buy stuff online now and again, but generally only for things that I would have no chance of finding at retail, and only for things where I know what I want with no doubt about what colour, what size, etc. Clothing? Never, unless it's something universal-fit.
I think we live in a world where society expect convenience at every level. Part of the reason why online shopping has been so popular and people want returns to be just as easy at purchases.
Unfortunately there is no way of undoing the damage that has been done already.
Smaller online retailers do have restocking fees, but that are small guys that process very little orders compared tot he big guys.
I think that if large online retailers (Amazon etc) were to introduce restocking fees their sales would go down for sure and they wouldn't want that.
This is similar with some brick in mortar stores.
If Costco changed their return policy (meaning that they would actually have one) their sales would also take a hit.
A lot of people buy knowing that they can return easily but don't end up returning as they are lazy but don't end up using the product. Still counts as a sale for the store.
A friend who worked for a company that had their products sold at Costco (which is not easy to get into) told me that they negotiate with Costco to cut Costco a cheque at the end of the year (or another agreed on term) for a percentage of sales that would count as returns.
Say they sell $10,000. worth of staplers by years end, and they agree to an 8% return rate.
Costco would automatically get a cheque for $800.00 regardless of how much was returned. If it's less than 8% then they are ahead, if its more than 8% then they are being but I am sure that they products would not be carried for much longer.
Hence whey we only see some products at Costco for a short period of time and never see them again.
From an environmental point of view this is a horrible policy. It allows for society to live a "disposable" life, but at the same time this also ties into a North American way of life. (but that's a different topic all together)
its the direction of the world right now. I'm sad because I place value on a conversation with the salesguy and his advice. Amazon sends literally tons of returned product to landfill , repackaging so the purchaser wont just return it again (i didnt buy used product!!) is almost impossible. Being a vendor to Costco or Amazon where "we take back everything" is really hard on a supplier, but as a vendor how do you say no to a purchase order bigger than any independant could ever write?? you dont.
The people that say, if XXX big store would give back to the community I would buy there, not try it out at the store then go online. Complete horsecrap, if those idiots cant understand the employees in the store they are standing in get paid, and then buy groceries, pay rent ect. in the community, they dont want to understand. It hollows out thier reason for buying online.
This will bite us in the ass, but it is the way of the future. Hey I saved $30 bucks!! yup you did.....
To play devil's advocate, Amazon does have their "Warehouse Deals" and "Renewed" channels that sell returned/used/open box products, presumably many of which would be returns?
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I respect that, but unless your in the group of religious or seniors that resist computers your certainly in the minority. And your not the problem of showrooming.
its a choice.
I also buy organic bananas, and other organic produce. Im aware of the plantation workers deformed children from the aerial spraying of pesticides. These family's live on the plantation. Why wouldn't I buy organic? to save 50 cents a pound?
Change can come from consumer's choices. Corporations are becoming dangerous and controlling our governments. choose smartly while you still have a choice.
This whole thing of returns going into a landfill has been going on for a lot longer then online shopping has been around. Back in the day I use to work in retail and around this time of year we would throw out tons of items. Employees were not allowed to purchase them or take them home. Most surprising was the amount of books, going straight to the landfill, not even recycled. Reason, it was a write off for the company and I guess with sneaky accounting it was better for them this way then.
Also the easy returns doesn't help either. I had other friends work or shop at Costco or Sam's Club, and would purposely buy items for limited use knowing they could return with no questions asked. One buddy bought a camera for a vacation and returned it.
I get showrooming sucks for retailers, but so does price manipulation. It's amazing how so many items are priced almost equally at all the retailers, or overpriced then go on a sale price, but is the same as a regular price someplace else. If a consumer is not aware they are paying for item at a higher price, but if you are a smart shopper you can get the correct price, or maybe a deal. I guess with more competition it is suppose to be better for consumers ?.
As for local bike shops. If they all were run like GP Bikes maybe more of them would be around. I've gone into some smaller shops and gotten a quote on something, and just went whoa, I've already looked up the price online and said to them I can get this for better, and gotten a shrug basically. GP seems to know the market better with pricing and will match it if pressured, and the staff is always friendly. So there is more to this then just shoppers being diligent.
Evolve or die. This is not a new issue, since the beginning of time things evolve and the fittest survive, mother nature and business share the need to constantly evolve.
I faced this exact situation in the late 90s. My wife ran a small mail order business selling sewing supplies and fabrics -- there were hundreds of small businesses serving mostly remote consumers and or dealing in specialty items that brick and mortar stores didn't see fit to stock. Mail order vendors regularly mailed sample and pricelists, customer then filled in an order and mailed it back, vendor then mailed the order - about a 3 week cycle.
Then Al Gore invented the Internet.
We saw sales decline from $5K/mo to $1K/mo in the space of 2 years. So we evolved -- opened our own webstore and converted to online. Within 18 months her sales jumped to $40K a month, within 2 years EVERY MAIL ORDER COMPETITOR WAS GONE, her costs declined and customers were happier with faster ordering-fulfilment cycle.
This is simply happening at another level. If a little business like ours with annual sales of $60K could add an online channel, anyone can. The local hockey shop can increase product breadth, reduce inventory costs, and prices -- they can compete but they need to step up to the plate.
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