Brick and mortar is hard. Amazon et al is easy and you get a better choice at a lower price.
The problem with Amazon is all the junk from third party sellers.
Amazon = ChiCom store front.
My wife and I pretty much lived by Costco. When we moved from Seattle to the sticks in central KY we went from having several Costcos within a half hour or less from our home to the nearest one being 90 minutes away. We still shop there, but we have to plan a little better.
But then we discovered Amazon and Prime. It took me a couple of years to figure out that though Costco had good stuff, Amazon had it in spades - with reviews. We still have the membership, but one of the driving factors is that we’ve been members since 1988, and in KY that is perceived as before the dawn of time.
And then I learned that my daughter that lives in Seattle no longer even goes to the grocery store. She does ALL of her shopping online, visiting food stores only when she’s already out and about and needs something odd.
That discovery, for me, was like, in the late 90’s, being at my daughter’s varsity high school basketball practice and seeing tons of CD’s and CD players scattered on the bleachers and noticing that every single one was home recorded - and what that meant for the recording industry.
I think a critical mass day is coming, where shopping malls are going to start closing en-mass. And most other brick and mortars as well. The only thing left will be stuff people can walk to from their home, or congregate, or need to be supplied locally and face to face (starbucks, nurseries, barber shops, ephemeral goods). And once tech allows reliable “work from home”, well that exacerbates the situation.
“Amazon et al is easy and you get a better choice at a lower price.”
Always check out Walmart to compare prices. Walmart beats Amazon on many common items, and shipping is free.
Amazon is good for buying obscure items like battery-operated beanballs for cats or Navaho sand paintings. Beware, though, as the ChiComms are manufacturing counterfeits and knockoffs. And Amazon sells fake stuff.
I like amazon. But I hate the thought that in 20 years only grocery stores will be around and only sell dairy products. It’s kinda sad really.
I’ve passed these stores no cars in parking lot except employees. Lots of niche stores that cater to one group of people are closing.
True. But a fair amount of Amazon stuff is overpriced junk... Amazon would be better if they cut some of the flea market types.