And they want me to shop locally....

Interesting to see how the world changes...100 years ago, very little was available locally, most rural folks shopped from the Sears and Roebuck catalog and waited for stuff to be shipped. The growth of department stores and local retail changed that in the middle of the 20th century. The growth of credit cards and easy access to financing through revolving credit fueled the growth of the big box retailers in the 90's.

Now the Internet has changed commerce again, allowing retailers to avoid the overhead of local stores and the associated staffing and overhead. The website is a storefront that is open 24/7 and requires very little support to stay "on" all the time. So 100 years later we are all back to ordering from catalogs instead of shopping locally.

Even with local stores like RV parts and auto parts, no matter what I want it seems like it's never "in stock" and needs to be ordered from the distributor. Well, if I have to wait, I may as well order from an online retailer and get the item for half the price.

Auto manufacturers have been doing this for years....reduce dealer costs of carrying parts inventory by supplying parts from regional warehouses. I take my truck in to the dealer on a Tuesday, they call me Tuesday afternoon and say I have bad widget and need a new one. I OK the repairs, they order the widget and it arrives Wed from the warehouse. They install the widget Thursday and tell me the truck is ready. So a 1-day repair now takes 3 days. Meanwhile I don't get a loaner, even if it's warranty repair, so I'm on my own to get around for 3 days.

Main Street is not going away, it will just have different kinds of stores on it....change is part of life. I see no reason to overspend on stuff just to keep a store open...that storefront may look pretty but it's not putting food on my table....

Few years ago second trip out with my camper I got a roofing staple in a tire. I put the spare on and went my merry way.
I went to my local tire guy for replacement. As these were new with probably less than 1k miles on them including factory to dealer,I wanted a matching tire.
Well Mr. Local, could only find me a different much more expensive tire.
I saw a notice on his wall that he was an authorized installer for Tire Rack.
The minute I told him I would order my desired tire and have him install it,he excused himself to make a couple of calls. Lo and Behold, his warehouse was able to find my tire.
He got it in the next morning and his charges were lower than Tire Rack.
Why did I need to do that dance?

Tom N wrote:
Your local RV dealer has a lot more overhead and expenses than Amazon.

Really? You believe this drivle? Amazon has a nationwide network of ENORMOUS warehouses and thousands and thousands of employees not to mention shipping costs much of which they pay. I would venture a guess that they have just as much over head per dollar of product sold as any retailer in the business. They just sell more.

Steve

Old-Biscuit wrote:
My Dads biggest complaint was "we don't have it in stock, but we can order it for you."

That was back in the 1960s.........

That would be the same for Amazon and most like them, they too must order it and it's then drop-shipped from the manufacture to you the customer.

My Dads biggest complaint was "we don't have it in stock, but we can order it for you."

That was back in the 1960s.........

winnietrey wrote:
I think it very cheese ball however when people go to the local guy, get 20 min of free advice, have no intention of buying from him in the first place, then go order it elsewhere. That is just plain cheap!

This is my "line in the sand". If I know what I need, can install it myself, etc., then I go for the best price and least effort (usually online). If I'm not sure what I need, need to have it installed, etc., then I buy locally.

Camera equipment is like that. We've got a great local camera store who put up a huge banner in their parking lot "We are NOT an internet showroom!" Sure their prices are more expensive, but the customer is paying for the ability to compare, try out the equipment, and benefit from the expertise of the staff. To go in and get all that "hands on help" and then walk out to buy online is beyond tacky - it's theft. I pretty much always buy my camera bags there because I can bring in my gear and try them out to find the one that works best. I realize I'm paying a 20-30% markup - but buying the bag once and getting it right is worth the price.

If I need a simple filter, I buy online and save the money.

Both have their place.

the bear II wrote:
Online sales is the reason some of the large retailers are having financial troubles. The marketplace is changing and retailers need to change with it. I find it difficult to understand when I run across a local retailer who doesn't also have a robust online presence. Many of the local RV parts dealers have websites but they don't have an online catalog where you can shop for parts. That's no way to compete with Amazon, E-bay or even Camping World.

online presence is one thing but a shopping cart and online store is a different story, most retailers can't afford to be in that game. It can get right expensive to just make sure the customers see you when they search which retailer is in there area.

I know a lot bought online can be installed by the consumer but then there is all that other stuff you can't install and there went the labor rates thru the roof cause we took the parts sales away from the little guy.

It's always funny to see a guy come in my shop and expect the same price and warranty for what he bought online for me to install. My shop is with the times and we do have A
a presence online but we won't price match Amazon, Jegs, Tire Rack.....

Everyone is looking to save a buck and I don't blame them, just don't blame the shop that charges you more to install what he did not sell you.

Water-Bug wrote:

jwmII wrote:
Sounds familiar. Here in my Burg the 7 Boobs (Mayor & Council) along with the County Idiots(Board of Supervisors)Both floated sales tax increases for city and county road repair. The local voters passed both increases, not to mention extending a school district budget over ride for numerous years which keeps the property taxes up there. The road taxes are to run for 20 years before sun setting. Now! Does anyone really believe that the tax will go away in 20 years?? With one of the highest sales tax rates in the state they still naively plead for folks to shop locally. REALLY!!!

Why would you even question the motivation of a politician pleading for you to buy locally and pay his highest sales tax in the state. He went to a lot of work to get that sales tax passed and it is ALL for naught, if you don't buy something locally. This is one of the RARE instances when you get two votes. One when the sales tax was passsed and a second when you spend your money.

You are so right about the second vote. The deal is they are to dumb to even comprehend that.

jwmII wrote:
Sounds familiar. Here in my Burg the 7 Boobs (Mayor & Council) along with the County Idiots(Board of Supervisors)Both floated sales tax increases for city and county road repair. The local voters passed both increases, not to mention extending a school district budget over ride for numerous years which keeps the property taxes up there. The road taxes are to run for 20 years before sun setting. Now! Does anyone really believe that the tax will go away in 20 years?? With one of the highest sales tax rates in the state they still naively plead for folks to shop locally. REALLY!!!

Why would you even question the motivation of a politician pleading for you to buy locally and pay his highest sales tax in the state. He went to a lot of work to get that sales tax passed and it is ALL for naught, if you don't buy something locally. This is one of the RARE instances when you get two votes. One when the sales tax was passsed and a second when you spend your money.

Bucky Badger wrote:

Tom N wrote:
Your local RV dealer has a lot more overhead and expenses than Amazon.

...Amazon doesn't have 100s of thousands of square ft warehouses...Amazon doesn't have robotic automation, Amazon doesn't have to pay electric, water or gas, Amazon doesn't have to pay thousands of employees.:S

Really!! Amazon has a warehouse in southern Az. that would probably contain the city of Madison. Talk about overhead.