Can anyone spot a trend here?

[Mackin USA]

The winner gets 5 Venezuelan Dollars 

[Rupert]

errr... nope....  Its just a Jungle out there

[ergophobe]

Didn't you mean "How many trends can you spot?" ;-)

online dominant vs offline dominant
old vs new
discount vs traditional
durables vs consumables

I think you meant it as a joke, but that one chart says a lot about where we've gone as a society in 10 years

[Mackin USA]

ergophobe  WINS 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g316066-Caracas_Capital_Region-Vacations.html

[Rupert]

Phew, thank goodness.  Well done Ergo

[littleman]

To me the big questing is:  Is anyone going to rise up and become a serious competitor to Amazon?

[Rupert]

Can that happen?  They spent years making huge losses to get to where they are, and are constantly pushing prices and innovation.

Its almost too late for that.


If there was, who would it be? The answer in the UK would likely be different from the USA.

[Mackin USA]

Paul Krugman is willing to discuss the ISSUE

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/20/opinion/paul-krugman-amazons-monopsony-is-not-ok.html?_r=0

NOTE: That article was written before Trump entered the picture.

[Rooftop]

I've got a real guilt thing about how much I have used Amazon this Christmas (well, this year).   I'm  considering cancelling prime in the new year and forcing myself to use a wider range of places. I know it will make no difference other than to my own inconvenience, but it seems right.  That would mean not using the Amazon Fire box though, so they really have me.

[Rupert]

I've got a real guilt thing about how much I have used Amazon this Christmas

Well, I have got over it this year... I cannot afford to be otherwise. I have other things that pull at my conscience with a stronger pull.

And that makes me understand why no one else can be bothered to worry about them either.

[littleman]

>guilt

I am not sure you need to entirely feel guilty.  For those who are willing to adapt there is a roll for Amazon to play in a small business.

[buckworks]

>> real guilt thing

I'd say close to half of my recent Black Friday shopping spree was through Amazon. FWIW I usually check around with other sites first. Amazon isn't always cheapest! If I do buy via Amazon, I try to buy from third-party merchants who are using Amazon, rather than just buying the thing from Amazon itself.

In Canada, TheBay.com (Hudson's Bay Company) is trying to become a credible competitor to Amazon and they have served me well when I've shopped with them. The company dates back to 1670!

[Rupert]

I am not sure you need to entirely feel guilty.

My issue with them is the way they treat their workers, nor  contribute to the society on which they rely.

By buying from them, it just continues. Soon all of the small shops will be gone.

[Brad]

Back when I was young, Sears was the go-to department store.  At least we checked there first.  I treat Amazon pretty much the same way: it's the department store I check first, I trust their policies and customer service as a customer, security. 

Half the time the stuff I order through Amazon is from small third party vendors.

I find some wonderful brands of products online on Amazon that I would never have encountered using a regular search engine.

No guilt.

[ergophobe]

I think the people within a niche who killed off specialty stores are the best bets for pulling business away from Amazon. Because of where we live, specialty stores are far away. So

- running shoes come from Running Warehouse, not Amazon
- climbing gear comes from Mountain Tools and REI, not Amazon
- etc