Online Shopping, Ixnay Retail (Continued)
I'm curious how our (American, Canadian) affluent-level shopping habits are changing.
I am a member of Amazon Prime and Costco, Netflix, and Google music and data storage. I like the latter because it serves up my purchased-earlier music, and adds/augments based on what they think I "might" like (taste profile).
"So what." I don't go to retail stores much anymore. This happened subtly, past ten years or less (probably past five, more-so). I only go for perishable goods, and specific labor services.
Our town food mart is cozy and charming. And overpriced. I do pop in about every ten days for fresh produce, bread, and dairy, though. I go to Costco maybe every two months for bulk buys on dry goods and other good bulky stuff like cat litter and chow, laundry detergent, entrees.
Guess what, though: Amazon now has "Pantry" that will cover most of the previous! I think my Costco days are numbered.
Categories of product I am served up online: everything BUT that which I've called out. Not much of that is charged sales tax, either.
Now add overseas shipping and shopping, which is somewhat new to me. Past few months, I've ordered $2K stuff from German retailers who undercut American stores by literally 40%. Euro is near par at the moment. German shipping is getting better, and cheaper, but still isn't "great". What happens when it is "great," and easy as American? And trackable? They can ship stuff for literally hundreds of dollars cheaper from 6,000 miles away vs. the store 6 miles away. No exaggeration. Same product! Only difference is the delayed gratification: weeks, vs. minutes.
And so the world shrinks. And, I think, the American economy shudders: manufacturing and retail sectors? Strong dollar is not helping them: helps American consumers, not exporters.
This is a megatrend with huge mid-term ramifications, if I am a typical American or Canadian affluent consumer? I'll make the radical suggestion retail will be 25% less prevalent in ten years, assuming current trends continue.
I am a member of Amazon Prime and Costco, Netflix, and Google music and data storage. I like the latter because it serves up my purchased-earlier music, and adds/augments based on what they think I "might" like (taste profile).
"So what." I don't go to retail stores much anymore. This happened subtly, past ten years or less (probably past five, more-so). I only go for perishable goods, and specific labor services.
Our town food mart is cozy and charming. And overpriced. I do pop in about every ten days for fresh produce, bread, and dairy, though. I go to Costco maybe every two months for bulk buys on dry goods and other good bulky stuff like cat litter and chow, laundry detergent, entrees.
Guess what, though: Amazon now has "Pantry" that will cover most of the previous! I think my Costco days are numbered.
Categories of product I am served up online: everything BUT that which I've called out. Not much of that is charged sales tax, either.
Now add overseas shipping and shopping, which is somewhat new to me. Past few months, I've ordered $2K stuff from German retailers who undercut American stores by literally 40%. Euro is near par at the moment. German shipping is getting better, and cheaper, but still isn't "great". What happens when it is "great," and easy as American? And trackable? They can ship stuff for literally hundreds of dollars cheaper from 6,000 miles away vs. the store 6 miles away. No exaggeration. Same product! Only difference is the delayed gratification: weeks, vs. minutes.
And so the world shrinks. And, I think, the American economy shudders: manufacturing and retail sectors? Strong dollar is not helping them: helps American consumers, not exporters.
This is a megatrend with huge mid-term ramifications, if I am a typical American or Canadian affluent consumer? I'll make the radical suggestion retail will be 25% less prevalent in ten years, assuming current trends continue.
