The Core

Why We Are Here => Water Cooler => Topic started by: rcjordan on March 04, 2018, 02:54:59 PM

Title: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: rcjordan on March 04, 2018, 02:54:59 PM
QuoteAmericans say they prize competition, a proliferation of choices, the little guy. Yet our taste for convenience begets more convenience, through a combination of the economics of scale and the power of habit.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2018/02/16/opinion/sunday/tyranny-convenience.html

I'm reminded of the best headline of 2017:

Missing The Mark: Walmart Offers Cheap When People Want Easy

https://www.bloomberg.com/gadfly/articles/2017-04-12/walmart-offers-cheap-when-people-want-easy

Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: Travoli on March 04, 2018, 06:53:51 PM
>Convenience
>People Want Easy

Apple built its empire on "It Just Works" but lately, it doesn't.

I cracked an iphone screen this week. It was a 3-day process to fix with hours of wasted time.

And the hardware...

Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: Brad on March 04, 2018, 07:27:38 PM
>convenience

But equally it could be - the tyranny of price.  I know people who spend half their day driving around to different stores just to get the lowest price.

Me, I'm a convenience junkie.  If I'm at a store and they have what I need I just buy it and don't sweat the few cents more it might cost. Ditto Amazon.
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: Travoli on March 04, 2018, 09:34:39 PM
>driving around to different stores just to get the lowest price.

I will never understand the people that spend $1.00 in gas to save $.35 on milk.
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: rcjordan on July 04, 2019, 12:11:06 PM
>Missing The Mark: Walmart Offers Cheap When People Want Easy

Walmart said to lose over $1B, weighs selling off money-losing online units
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/walmart-said-to-lose-over-1b-weighs-selling-off-money-losing-online-units-155210117.html

"According to the publication, Walmart is frustrated with Jet— an online shopping site it purchased for $3.3 billion back in 2016."

(Debbies here were right.)
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: ergophobe on July 04, 2019, 06:29:51 PM
Quote from: rcjordan on July 04, 2019, 12:11:06 PM
Walmart is frustrated with Jet

The other day I was asking myself, "What's that other shopping site that isn't Amazon?" and I couldn't remember the name Jet. That can't be a good sign.
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: rcjordan on July 04, 2019, 08:09:59 PM
Like a lot of others, we had our doubts when the deal was announced.

Amazon may finally have a formidable competitor
http://th3core.com/talk/marketing/amazon-may-finally-have-a-formidable-competitor/msg43733/

>couldn't remember the name Jet

Yup, absolutely forgettable.
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: emp on July 08, 2019, 06:41:54 AM
Quote from: Travoli on March 04, 2018, 06:53:51 PM
>Convenience
>People Want Easy

Apple built its empire on "It Just Works" but lately, it doesn't.

I cracked an iphone screen this week. It was a 3-day process to fix with hours of wasted time.

And the hardware...

I was never an Apple fan (except for the iPad.. that thing is sweeeet).
But boy have they lost their way.

::emp::
Title: Re: The Tyranny of Convenience
Post by: DrCool on July 08, 2019, 11:26:49 PM
Another good article about Walmart's online efforts and Jet: https://www.vox.com/recode/2019/7/3/18716431/walmart-jet-marc-lore-modcloth-amazon-ecommerce-losses-online-sales