Is Amazon A Monster?

[+ Lucky]

As an avid fan of Amazon, which I like for its convenience and rapid delivery, I do worry that the corporate giant is damaging retail merchants. A part of my thinking is that this is an inevitable change, as computers affect shopping habits the more people get used to them. Today's Guardian, though, has a striking article on the topic. What do Amazon fans do in light of this information?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/02/decline-high-street-amazon-power-tech-giant

[+ Charlie]

No wonder Trump is jealous of Bezos.

[Phlmuscle]

They definitely are price gouging in these difficult times.

[maninsoma]

Walmart did it in brick-and-mortar style before Amazon. I like to bring this up when people point to all of the negative aspects of Amazon because I don't know that it's any different having a conservative family controlling so much of the retail sphere and then using their muscle to control suppliers and force competitors out of business.

[+ FrankR]

As an avid fan of Amazon, which I like for its convenience and rapid delivery, I do worry that the corporate giant is damaging retail merchants. A part of my thinking is that this is an inevitable change, as computers affect shopping habits the more people get used to them. Today's Guardian, though, has a striking article on the topic. What do Amazon fans do in light of this information?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/02/decline-high-street-amazon-power-tech-giant

I used to be a fan. Then I started paying attention.

 

 

 

Just a few examples of things to think about.

 

Is Amazon a monster? That depends in how you define “monster”... ?

[marylander1940]

Walmart did it in brick-and-mortar style before Amazon. I like to bring this up when people point to all of the negative aspects of Amazon because I don't know that it's any different having a conservative family controlling so much of the retail sphere and then using their muscle to control suppliers and force competitors out of business.

 

Yes and Sears almost did it with their catalog (also spelled catalogue) but failed to move to the internet and got stuck in the malls.

 

Sears catalog

 

Capitalism has constructive and destructive forces, small business are also surviving because of Amazon.

 

Scamazon thread

[Epigonos]

I love Amazon and use it often. However, I am concerned that companies like Amazon, Google and a multitude of other internet companies are beyond the control of our current anti-trust laws. What is the answer -- I wish to god I knew. In less contentious times the President and both houses of congress might put together a bipartisan committee/commission to investigate the situation and make recommendation but that isn't about to happen in today's politically polarized atmosphere. If the current administration were to establish such a committee/commission it would be packed with industry representatives. If the next administration is Democratic then the committee/commission will be packed with anti industry representatives.

[Daverwr]

One thing to know is that Amazon hosts 1,000’s of “mom and pop” stores and products for companies that cannot afford the infrastructure for online sales. These stores would not be able to offer anything other than local sales without Amazon.

[+ sniper]

The problem isn't just Amazon - it's the entire economy that is grinding down wages for the people in the bottom half of the economy in the name of squeezing out a few extra percent ROI. You can't get blood from a stone, and we would do well to remember that we have an interest in minimuzing the fraction of the population that has nothing to lose.

[down_to_business]

Definitely a monster, but I have shopped there nonetheless out of convenience and necessity.

I don't think they are a net benefit to "mom & pop" business.

I don't think they do near enough about counterfeit merchandise and sellers.

[+ bashful]

Have shopped there less and less. Just before the pandemic, found same items cheaper on the retailer's website, so went that route. For me, they have become the retailer of last resort.

 

What soured me is when, as a Prime member, I had to pay more for shipping than the cost of the face masks I purchased.

[+ keroscenefire]

My other problem with Amazon is the enormous wealth it has created for Jeff Bezos. A lot of people don't understand that $1 billion is an insane amount of money and $180 billion is even more so. It really is just unfathomable that one person has that much money. And like the taxes on Amazon are so minuscule compared to its profits. If we had reasonable 25% taxes on Amazon (and other billionaires and corporations) like we do on regular working stiffs, we could really do so much with that money. Have much better schools, house a lot of the homeless, universal medical care for all Americans, etc.

[+ Hoover42]

As an avid fan of Amazon, which I like for its convenience and rapid delivery, I do worry that the corporate giant is damaging retail merchants. A part of my thinking is that this is an inevitable change, as computers affect shopping habits the more people get used to them. Today's Guardian, though, has a striking article on the topic. What do Amazon fans do in light of this information?

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/aug/02/decline-high-street-amazon-power-tech-giant

Back in the day, I was a big fan of Amazon, and I've shopped with them since 1996.

 

However, lately I've grown to despise Bezos, and I cringe every time I fall back in a moment of weakness to buying anything from that website.

 

I still love shopping on-line but I will go out of my way to buy directly from the manufacturers online stores when available, even if it costs more or takes longer.

[Buff Daddy]

Who remembers Montgomery Ward catalogs. And as a kid my mother would go nuts if she didn't have either the Sears or JC Penney catalogs. Sears should of been the Amazon of today. But they missed that boat!.

[rvwnsd]

Who remembers Montgomery Ward catalogs. And as a kid my mother would go nuts if she didn't have either the Sears or JC Penney catalogs. Sears should of been the Amazon of today. But they missed that boat!.

 

They squandered a resource that Amazon could only have hoped to have and that was the mailing list and captive credit card associated with the

 

Sears catalog

 

Yes and Sears almost did it with their catalog (also spelled catalogue) but failed to move to the internet and got stuck in the malls...

In the early 2000's, Sears was one of the first retailers (the only one at the time, I think) to offer order online and pickup at the store. This was before Walmart did that. I bought a stereo that way and sent Christmas gifts to my family in Chicago. Mom and Dad would pick up stuff for my brother, he would pick stuff up for them, and Sears did the rest.

 

The real tragedy about Sears is they had their own ISP (Prodigy) in the very early 1990's that offered shopping online! They also had massive warehouses and, of course, stores. Had Eddie Lampert not acquired them they would probably be a formidable competitor to Amazon. Instead, Fast Eddie proved that Sears + Kmart did not equal "Smart." (Nor did bleeding both chains dry).

 

Back in their early days, Sears and Wards were the sworn enemy of independent retailers. Then, much like now, the other retailers failed to do something Sear and Wards did (and Amazon does now): stock products people want to buy. At 6'4" tall with both a 37" inseam and sleeve, I can't buy clothing in any brick and mortar store other than Dillard's. Macy's and even Nordstrom typically refer me to their online channel. Gap, Banana Republic, and the plethora of mall- and power center-based stores do the same. Why should I bother visit their stores when I know they won't have my size?

[wbtravis]

I love this thread. It’s a debate that I want to have with my parents over a number of issues. But... that leads to politics... a no-no here.

Amazon does what they do better than most retailers. The problem is that the old retail model just doesn’t check as many boxes for consumers as Amazon does. Costco too. So, we are spoiled by the bar being lowered.

Years ago a relative of mine complained about Orchard Supply killing his little business because he could not compete. As sad is that is... it means his business model was obsolete. Sad, but reality.

If traditional retailers could deliver to consumers better than Amazon... problem would go away. They can’t.

[Blade9]

To answer the OP’s question, yes. However, as there are no bookstores in my little village, I will continue to order through Amazon if I can’t get a book from the library or want to own my own copy. Otherwise...I never use them.

[gallahadesquire]

I hate Jeff Bezos. The LEAST he could do is be philanthropic. His ex has given away 1.7 BILLION to charity.

[+ FrankR]

I hate Jeff Bezos. The LEAST he could do is be philanthropic. His ex has given away 1.7 BILLION to charity.

Don't let your dislike for him get to you. You deserve better than to waste your time hating on him!

 

[samhexum]

[+ bashful]

Another package was mis-delivered to our building last week by Amazon. It was in a padded “Prime” envelope.

 

Doesn’t happen frequently, but often enough to notice. It’s always addressed to another condo building two blocks away that has the same number, but different street name. Same thing occasionally happens at one of the other buildings in our development that has the same number of a new apartment building just built on a different street on the other side of our block. It will get worse with the new building across the other street, that was given the same number of a third building on the other side of us. Basically, within two blocks, there are six buildings where two buildings each have the same street number.

 

Taped a note to the package to advise Amazon. Still sits here.

 

Called Amazon to request them to pick it up, was told they don’t do that. Asked them what we were supposed to do with it, they told me just discard it. Asked a delivery guy if he could take it to the correct address, he said they‘re not allowed to do that.

 

So when you get an email that your Amazon package was delivered, but it’s not there, don’t assume it was stolen.

[+ bigjoey]

Walmart did it in brick-and-mortar style before Amazon. I like to bring this up when people point to all of the negative aspects of Amazon because I don't know that it's any different having a conservative family controlling so much of the retail sphere and then using their muscle to control suppliers and force competitors out of business.

 

And Sears before Walmart.