How does where you shop affect future buying choices in your area?
@bagarad (14283)
Paso Robles, California
August 26, 2011 4:18pm CST
Most of us do some shopping on line and some locally. There are advantages to both, but some people don't realize that if they buy on line to save money on popular products, like best selling novels or cosmetics, they may be limiting what they will be able to buy locally in the future.
Example: Let's say I love to read best selling fiction books. The chain bookstores and places like Costco and online stores sell them at almost wholesale prices. So I buy them in those places to save money on them. But I also like to go to local bookstores and browse to see what's new, look through the books to see if they are right for me, and browse all the books on a certain subject. Sometimes I need a book on software I'm having trouble with right away. Getting it shipped from Amazon takes time, meaning I will have to delay what I'm doing. So I try to buy that book at Staples or Costco or Office Max, but they no longer have all the computer books they used to carry. Why? Because they need to carry what sells in their store, and since people buy their books on line for the most part, to save money, they stock hardly any books at all anymore at office supply stores, and only a handful of technical books at Costco.
Bookstores used to make money on best selling books until the discounters on and off line came around. They could not compete with those prices, so they either had to match the prices on best sellers and lose money on them to try to get people to buy other books in their store, or they had to stop carrying them because they couldn't afford to lose money on them. As Amazon and other on line discount stores took more and more business from local stores, those stores started to go out of business. Now even Borders is going out of business. Pretty soon it will be hard to find a bookstore in your town.
So, as more bookstores go out of business, the publishers have also lost a lot of their business because bookstores were their customers. Now they have to publish the books they think Costco, Amazon, and other big retailers will buy. That might also influence what they decide to publish, since they have to keep those stores happy and will lose money on anything those stores don't decide to buy. This may influence your choice of what's available.
It works the same way in other types of businesses you rely on. If you do all your major buying in big box stores or on line, the small hardware stores may not be able to stay in business, and you will lose the free advice their employees used to give you and the wider selection of items, since big box stores only stock what sells best and may not carry the items you need.
Have you seen this happening in your area? Do you think where you shop might help a local store stay in business or force it out of business? What's more important to you? Saving money on best selling items or supporting local businesses so they will still be there when you need them to buy something in a hurry or to have more choices? Have you ever thought about this before?
4 people like this
10 responses
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
27 Aug 11
I hadn´t thought about how online buying affect stores, but I have seen small shops and markets of all kind go out of business when big chains come and install themselves. They start giving the customers a better price until the small business goes out of business. Then the customers discover that the good prices were not for their benefit. It has been done for ages and it will continue being so unless there is a law against that.
The chain must be broken elsewhere, not by one lonely customer who is willing to pay more to mantain the store. Publishers (in the case of books you tell us) should see that there´s a limit in the selling price of their books.
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
27 Aug 11
I'm not sure what you mean by publishers having a limit in the selling price of their books. Do you mean that they should not allow the prices to be discounted or do you mean something else?
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
4 Oct 11
Yes, that's true. Stores that can afford to buy more get volume discounts. That encourages us to buy more than we really want to at one time to get a higher discount and free freight and more time to pay. The playing field became somewhat level about a decade ago in the book industry in that the publishers finally had to agree to give the same discount schedule to each buyer. That still favors larger retail outlets, though, because Amazon will be able to buy and sell more books in a week than I or your local bookstore, and their warehouse may be able to accept truckloads of books at a time, whereas a smaller store may not be able to accept truck shipments. So when I make a $2,000 net order, it's a pretty big deal for me, but a large internet discounter might be able to take advantage of a $5,000 net order with a much higher discount, free shipping and better payment terms. So even with the same discount schedule, the higher volume seller has the price advantage and three times longer to pay his bill.
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
5 Oct 11
That´s what I meant. And some stores of the past have just disappeared. I had a lovely bookshop near my house where I could go walking and there were even low benches so we could browse books all we wanted. I almos always bought one, but reading a bit of this and that was part of the ritual. The bookstore went out of business as it cannot have the same prices that huge bookstores have.
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
27 Aug 11
I am in a pretty small town and do not have a lot of those options to begin with. I have not visited our small local bookstore in ages, but that is because I read in the Library, cannot afford to buy books and newspapers. If there is something special I want, I know that I can count on Linda to locate it if it is in print. She is good and that is why I think her store stays in business. She also branches out and sells different things. I think that is how most of the small stores in my town stay in business, they diversify.
@GardenGerty (169479)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Actually she moved to a bigger building and also has an upscale used clothing store. And hand crafted jewelry, and specialty candy. You are right about shoppers and our Main Street has a lot of unique places to shop that cannot be duplicated at Wal Mart or online. Shopping an online boutique just does not have that same feel.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
27 Aug 11
That's true. Stores need to change with the times. And, as you have mentioned, customers will return if they get service they can count on. Many bookstores carry unique cards and gifts or even put in a coffee bar or internet cafe to attract more customers. There are still people around, I think, who consider shopping a kind of hobby or recreation, and they like to have places to go discover new things they didn't know they wanted until they see them.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
8 Sep 11
I have thought about it quite a bit and I try to support local businesses and individuals as much as possible. If we quit buying from them, they will not be here when we want them. Borders closed their store here not long ago and that really brought it home for me. I felt guilty for not shopping there more often! But funds are often limited for me any more so I have to pick and choose what I can do. I accept some online earnings in gift certificates to Amazon so I do buy books from them occasionally, although most of my shopping there is for things I can no longer easily find locally. It seems to grow upon itself, doesn't it?
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
8 Sep 11
It certainly does. I'm not a shopper to start with, unless I have to be. I personally hate going shopping and have never understood those who consider it a form of recreation. That's one reason I sometimes prefer online shopping if I know exactly what I want.
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
29 Aug 11
Well everywhere you look you continue to see a lot of Bookstores going out of Business. Unless they cannot match some of the discount places with today's rough economy people are just not interested in going there. If they are carrying books you cannot get elsewhere, than you do win, but are they within driving distance if there are still ones around? Most of the time when I buy a book somewhere anymore it usually is from places like WalMart just because I can get other things there as well.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
29 Aug 11
That works if all you want is just something to read, but if you are looking for something special Walmart will often not have it. They only carry best selling or high volume books. If I just want something to read, I can find it free at the library.
@Awinds (2468)
• United States
26 Aug 11
Yes I have thought about this before. However the decades old local businesses are still alive in my area. Some are even hiring new staff. The internet has been around for nearly twenty years and the brick and mortar stores still remain. Internet shopping may push some out of business but I do not think it is a plague level problem.
In the end I do not think people should be obligated to keep a business method that is more expensive alive - especially in this economy. There are families to feed and money must be stretched as much as possible. When it comes to a noble or feeding their families, most people will chose the latter. I don't blame them.
2 people like this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
4 Oct 11
I apologize for not answering sooner. I didn't realize I hadn't. Your dilemma is one many of us face. I'm glad most of your long-time businesses are surviving. I agree that sometimes it's hard to patronize a local business when something is much cheaper on the Internet or if you might need to wait weeks for a special order to come in.
@zuliadesmond (72)
• India
12 Sep 11
well thts a coool thought madam i agree but what if the customer drives utmost satisfaction in shopping online nevermind if a person buys the product,the product gets delivered at ur doorstep and what more u get to pay at ur own convinience by card or check so its so convineent
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
12 Sep 11
Hey! As the old saying goes, "You pays your money and you takes your choice."
@BarBaraPrz (51831)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
26 Aug 11
Sad, but true.
And shopping at Malwart doesn't help, either.
1 person likes this
@maximax8 (31042)
• United Kingdom
27 Aug 11
I have a vegan diet. I used to shop at a mixture of Sainsbury, Morrison, Waitrose, the Co Op and Asda. The Co-op has many vegan choices so I still like it. I have stopped going to Morrison. I got to Sainsbury and Waitrose less and Asda more for its low prices. For example it does the soya drink I like for 90 pence rather than the other supermarkets one pound and thirty five pence. In a recession people still need to eat so all these shops are likely to stay open.
Book shops tend to be expensive and getting them on the Internet is cheaper like from Amazon. I like to buy clothes from a cheap clothing shop called Store 21. I like to buy shoes from Free Rangers for myself. It is a vegan shoe shop that do mail order and Internet sales. Sadly many shops are closing down due to the recession and going out of business. I do buy some things from local shops like the post office, Proper Job and Fair Save. I would hate it if all my local shops went in the recession. Thanks for this important discussion.
1 person likes this
@GreenMoo (11833)
•
27 Aug 11
We believe strongly in supporting the local economy, so make a special effort to buy locally where possible. We have a bar in the next village which has a small shop attached. I don't buy a great deal there as it's expensive, but I do buy all my bread there as it's a convenient place to go in an emergency and if people don't use it we recognise that it'll probably not remain. The same applies to most things.
Shopping locally is also a good opportunity to get to know your neighbours and build community.
1 person likes this
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
27 Aug 11
I'll bet the bread is good, too. I live in a small town, and chances are we will run into someone we know at the markets here, too. I also bank at a small community bank, which, unfortunately has been bought out by a larger, but still local bank.
@marie2052 (3691)
• United States
27 Aug 11
Good discussion. I have a monthly little special thing just for me I do and that is I buy some Candle Wax Tarts. I have bought on ebay to help people that are individually selling their products. I have pretty much settled now with one lady. Not because she is the cheapest but her quality and scents are the best. I used to go to yankee Candle shop and get a tart holder and their tarts. But their quality of scent release does not compare with this particular person. So I purchase from her.
As far as books, I am really sad that borders is going out of business. I wish the ebooks had never been released as I can't imagine not being able to read and hold an actual book.
It is putting a lot of people out of more and more businesses.
I support the stores in hopes to keep people employed. We still have booksamillion in our city but Borders was on the beach side. We are hoping Barnes and Noble might take the place as they are supposed to take a few of the closed borders stores. I think it would benefit them as we live in a tourist area.
I quit going to Walmart. I go to a regular grocery store and we have a K-Mart on our side that I patronize now that I stopped Walmart. I also use Target over Walmart. if you are careful and know pricing you can do just as well shopping at other stores than Walmart and the bigger places.
I have learned my lesson going to the big guys and now I support local stores that we need to pull together and support. Especially with the way our economy is today.
@bagarad (14283)
• Paso Robles, California
27 Aug 11
It might seem strange that someone like me with an Internet business would be supporting local shopping. I sell resource books and workbooks to teachers and parents. When I started, I was not on line but traveled to home school and teacher conventions to sell my books. Then, when my husband destroyed two hips that had to be replaced, we had to stop the traveling and hard physical work and since I still had lots of inventory, I decided to sell on line just about the time Amazon got started. Although I pretty much can match Amazon prices on softcover books and workbooks, I had to stop carrying hardcover books where I could not compete. And after people just started to think Amazon first when I came to books, I stopped buying anymore new children's books and pretty well limited myself to the materials teachers buy.
In my town, before I started my on line business, there was one small teacher store that was open only after school and Saturday, since the owners were teachers. That store went out of business shortly after I moved here. Then, about six years ago, a new teacher store opened in a better location. I became friends with the owner and we tried to help each other. None of the local people bought from me, but we sometimes helped each other out when one of us was out of something the other had. We would sell to each other at the wholesale price so that neither of us would have to place an order that included a lot we didn't need, to meet the minimum for a wholesale order. Sometimes we also placed a joint order when there was a special from a publisher so that togther we could afford to do it when neither of us could have met the minimum alone. I was sorry when she went out of business a couple of years ago. Even with her gone, I still don't get sales from local schools because I don't have a storefront. I know that people still like to be able to drop into a store and just look without having to make an appointment. That's one reason local stores are important.
There is a Chinese restaurant in town that is very good, very reasonable, and almost always empty. We like to eat there, even if we can't afford to eat out very often. We try to bring friends there and eat there at least once a month because we know if they don't have customers, they won't be able to survive. I think too many people take local businesses for granted and don't think to support them most of the time. Then they are sorry when they are no longer able to stay in business and disappear. Our city and many others have a "Shop Local" campaign going that encourages people to patronize at least five local non-chain businesses a month. What do you think of that?
