Will Amazon win the retail game?
I like the store down the street! I like all the stores down the street and I’ve always been willing to spend a little more and take my business to them, but more and more Amazon is getting my business.
Why? The why is simple, when I need something, they usually have it!
Today I needed a vacuum belt to fix my vacuum cleaner. I took off the broken belt and headed to my local hardware store. They had a few belts but no reference chart so I could chose the right belt. I asked the clerk and he didn’t know what to do.
I drove to a vacuum repair place, but it was closed and had no posted hours of operation anywhere, and I really looked. I even called the cell number on the door but got voice mail.
I left the vacuum store and headed to another hardware store and found the same small inventory of belts and no reference chart available. There was no clerk available either even though the store was pretty quiet on an early morning.
From there I drove to Best Buy because that is where I bought the vacuum cleaner, but they didn’t carry the belt either.
No local store could help me. No local store knew where I could find the correct model number and none offered to order it and have it for me in a few days.
When I got home I looked up the belt model number at the manufacturer’s site and went to Amazon to buy it. The belt will be here in 2 days with no shipping costs using Amazon Prime, and it couldn’t be easier.
How is Amazon winning my business? The reason is the small retailer doesn’t yet acknowledge that along with his merchandise he is selling service. Service is why people want the small retailer to survive and prosper, and today I found little service to be had.
Sooner or later the small retailer will wear me down and I’ll go to Amazon first. When that day comes the small retailer will lose a valuable customer and an enthusiastic cheerleader.
CDsailor
