I'm in the middle of downtown in a small city shops are heavily weighed towards convenience or kick nacks. EG 2 different gift stores and no hardware store. Lots of convenience stores and two specialty markets but only one grocery store and that at least double the cost and 1/100th the selection of the chain stores with the floor space of 7-11.

Looking back small shops always had shitty prices and selection

IMO it's not really reasonable to blame the consumer for the shitification of Amazon. The only things that could have stopped this would have been more rigorous regulatory action against Amazon's mergers and anticompetitive practices years ago.

Successful businesses tend towards monopoly and once they're close to that position it's almost impossible for individual consumers to do anything about it.

Be a local shop owner.

Have "opportunistic" prices.

Always try talking people into buying shit they don't need.

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"Customer support" = Its your fault, no refunds, go fuck yourself.

Why is Amazon taking over?

Yesterday, a user asked how I stopped using Amazon. I don't have the heart to tell him, you just stop.

Or alternatively, I live in the woods and it’s 60 min round trip to anywhere and there were never local stores near me to begin with, and between kids, jobs, chores, and house projects it’s just too damn convenient not to pull out a phone and have something come the next day- not like I’d have time on a week night to go out and buy it anyway, and then I get all the way to the store and they dont have what I’m looking for.

I detest Amazon practices, but I don’t have a real alternative that doesn’t just shift all the burden to me. I could “make a stand” but it doesn’t solve any of my problems and adds quite a few.

People want what Amazon provides, and I’d happily give my money to another company without shitty practices if one were available- but there in lies the problem. It’s a near total monopoly.

My anxiety ridden ass loves Amazon. My house is in a private enough area that I've never had a package stolen, but I live near a distribution center, so I can often get same-day delivery.

It started taking 5 days for deliveries during COVID so I cancelled prime and just get $35 free shipping.

never in my life had a package stolen, where is this happening? I hear about it constantly but in all my homes in many areas and being incredibly lazy about getting them from the porch...???

Online shopping used to mean lower prices and a bit of a wait.

Nowadays it's: more expensive because of shipping, delivery not doing their job or even stealing your shit, which leads to you having to pick it up at a place further from your house than the store that sells it.

Over here they are supposed to deliver it to you in person but half the time (if not more) they'll just leave a "you weren't home note" even though you took the day off and then drop it off at a pickup point.

Downside is that i can't stop online shopping because the stores never carry what i need.

how do i get in on the retail smash and grab mobs on the news lately? where are they selling? do they deliver

Depends on what I need tbh. Comics? Got three locals, and if they're out of whatever back issue I need than mycomicshop, then ebay, then amazon if they are the only ones with it in stock. Books? Local bookstores or direct from publishers, then same pattern with the comics if need be. Records? Local shops or discogs. But electronics or general "life" shit, my "locals" are best buy and walmart, fuck them too I might as well order from amazon at that point.

I don't know about everywhere, but in many places the last point is kinda irrelevant since the Amazon lockers exist. I think there is one at most QuikTrips, even.

Sucks that every book I order comes without padding and arrives super damaged.

Fuck Amazon