GWTW?

[Jolly]

Are the days of free shipping numbered? If so, what happens to e-commerce?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/amazon-other-retailers-revamp-free-shipping-as-costs-soar/ar-AA191ux0

[Axtremus]

Oh well, I never expected “shipping” to be truly “free” in all cases anyway. By this time the “free shipping for everything” phenomenon has already lasted longer than I thought it would.

[Aqua Letifer]

It'll still be around, just baked into the price. That's why "free shipping on items over $100" isn't really what it says. You're very much paying for it.

[Jolly]

Ok, what happens when a consumer can buy a $25 item at Better Buy, but that item is $23 at Amasippi plus $6 shipping?

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

Ok, what happens when a consumer can buy a $25 item at Better Buy, but that item is $23 at Amasippi plus $6 shipping?

That item has to already be at a Better Buy near you and you have to have affordable, accessible transportation that costs you less than $4 in your time and money to get to that Better Buy, else you would still have to pay Better Buy for shipping. It still comes down to the efficiency of Better Buy’s distribution operations vs. the efficiency of Amasippi’s distribution operations.

[George K]

Amazon Fresh still offers "free" shipping - for orders over $35 $150.

[Doctor Phibes]

How much does it cost me to drive to Best Buy in gas and wear-and-tear on the car?

[Aqua Letifer]

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

Ok, what happens when a consumer can buy a $25 item at Better Buy, but that item is $23 at Amasippi plus $6 shipping?

Depends on whether you want the convenience of it showing up to your door in a couple of days, or if you want to put up with the bullshit of driving over there right now.

[Doctor Phibes]

As awful as Amazon is as an organization, it's freaking awesome for buying stuff which would be almost impossible to find quickly otherwise.

Back in the day, if you were buying something, you basically had to pay for what they had in the store. That's gone away now.

And in the event that you did have it delivered - 'Wait 28 days for delivery'.

I think we've become very spoiled.

[George K]

@Doctor-Phibes said in GWTW?:

Back in the day, if you were buying something, you basically had to pay for what they had in the store.

A small local hardware store (now gone) in my town used to have a sign that said, "We have it if we can find it."

[Doctor Phibes]

@George-K said in GWTW?:

@Doctor-Phibes said in GWTW?:

Back in the day, if you were buying something, you basically had to pay for what they had in the store.

A small local hardware store (now gone) in my town used to have a sign that said, "We have it if we can find it."

Yes!

All those stores are gone now. Home Depot is a terrible, soulless place, frequently staffed by unhelpful individuals, but you pretty much know it's going to have what you need.

I remember my parents buying the family TV from a local privately owned electronics store - my dad knew the guy's first name, and he knew my dad's. What's more, the purchase was an adventure for both of them. He'd go in there for a chat, and maybe look at the radio's.

Edit - I actually just checked Google Maps, and there's still an electronics shop there, but now it's Bang and Olufsen, so probably outside my dad's comfort zone from a financial perspective

[Jolly]

You can easily look online and determine whether Better Buy has an item in stock.

Shucks, town is 25 miles away for me, but I'm in there a couple of times a week. The cost to swing by Better Buy when I'm picking up parts or groceries is negligible.

If I can save $4 or $5, yeah, I'll swing by the store and buy it. My time is not the precious.

Hell, I hang around here...

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

You can easily look online and determine whether Better Buy has an item in stock.

You can also buy it online from Better Buy then go pick it up later. Still e-commerce.

[Jolly]

@Axtremus said in GWTW?:

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

You can easily look online and determine whether Better Buy has an item in stock.

You can also buy it online from Better Buy then go pick it up later. Still e-commerce.

Yeah, but what costs more per item to ship - a single package via UPS or a weekly 18-wheeler load of store stock?

[Axtremus]

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

@Axtremus said in GWTW?:

@Jolly said in GWTW?:

You can easily look online and determine whether Better Buy has an item in stock.

You can also buy it online from Better Buy then go pick it up later. Still e-commerce.

Yeah, but what costs more per item to ship - a single package via UPS or a weekly 18-wheeler load of store stock?

Same argument, compare which costs more per item to ship: One UPS truck going around one neighborhood delivering hundreds of items along its route, or hundreds of private vehicles each making its own trip to pick up one item?

[George K]

@Axtremus typical UPS driver earns about $225 a day. Add the costs of fuel, insurance (employee, vehicle, liability), benefits, and I'll guess that each truck costs about $300 (or more) per day.

100 deliveries - $3 each, give or take.

[Jolly]

It costs $2.50/mile to ship a van load of product from a port or distribution hub.

IOW, about $800 for 40,000 pounds of electronics, widgets, whatever, from the Port of New Orleans to Shreveport. Or what, two or three cents/pound?