Prime gets free delivery ... I got hooked when I could not find the original vendor for a piece of heavy equipment which would have ordinarily made the purchase a no go.
Then just recently I was looking at leaf blowers and the price Amazon charged was much less (with free delivery) than the store I would have had to drive to for that particular brand plus time and gas. So far I have more than saved on items (albeit heavy ones) than the cost of Amazon Prime not counting time and gas.
For books there simply isn’t any competition. And they will buy back certain books even DVDs.
A few months ago, I was shopping for a an edger. I checked with several stores, including their online offerings. Amazon ended up being the most expensive out of the ones that I considered. Even with delivery, Amazon could not beat the deal I got from Lowe’s, and Lowe’s is hardly ever a a discounter. Plus, when it comes to instant gratification, I was able to get it instantly and about 8 minutes from my house.
Believe me, I do shop for the better prices, and will get it from whoever offers the best price, as long as it’s the same quality that I’m looking for.