Ordering a book. Amazon had it for 10 bucks less than the bookstores but plus a few bucks shipping. I called Borders, WaldenBooks and B&N and offered to buy it from them for the total price it would cost at Amazon. None of them would price match even when I pointed out that I would probably buy another book while I was there. I asked one of the managers if I can get it for less including shipping why bother going to the bookstore? He didn't really have an answer.
-
David
The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment. -
I think it all depends on the manager of the store. When I bought my MS, one HD would not match an online price. Only a few miles away, another did!
EdDo you know about kickback? Ray has a good writeup here... https://www.sawdustzone.org/articles...mare-explained
For a kickback demonstration video http://www.metacafe.com/watch/910584...demonstration/ -
I don't think price matching is dying but you are always gonna have trouble getting B&M (brick and morter) store to match online stores, even including shipping. Quite honestly I would not compete for the business either if I was a B&M store. Heck you can't get B&N B&M to match B&N online prices. They are completely different distribution models and are priced accordingly.
You found the lowest price. WHY do you want to buy from a store instead of online? When you find that answer (want to see and touch it first, want easier return options, want immediate gratification of ownership), then you will know why B&M stores are more expensive.Comment
-
Also depends if the B&M store is owned by the company or a franchise.Comment
-
I think Jeff hit the nail on the head. B&M stores are more expensive to operate, they cater to those who want more service and thus they feel they can charge more for it.
The fact that the poster found the lowest price online then wanted the B&M store to match it because he preferred to buy from the B&M store because of its advantages highlights the conundrum. A few stores will match on-line prices simply to avoid losing a sale but if a corporate guy in a company with B&M stores and on-line stores is setting the prices, he'll make the B&M stores higher to cover the extra cost.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
-
Jeffrey is correct. Price matching leads to pissing contests and hurts the value of many products , as pressures are put on distributors and manufacturers both.Comment
-
Price matching between B&M and Online probably don't exist for the reasons already stated. But you can still get price matching between B&M stores. Just last weekend I got a coupon from my credit card company for $10 off a $50 purchase at Sears. Was at Lowes and asked the tool manager if he'd honor the coupon, looked at the restrictions on the back asked what I was going to buy and said sure we'll honor it. Went to checkout, the cashier needed to get approval, which took a while, she kept apologizing for the delay, when she finally got approval, she gave me an additional 10% off on top of the coupon. Saved me a trip down the street to Sears, and I ended up buying sandpaper and some additional items while I was there.AndyComment
-
Just recently was in the market for a new printer, and had a gift card for Office Depot, but the model I wanted was on sale in the Office Max flyer. Asked Office depot to match it, which they did with no problem. Used the gift card, and as it was rung up, sales slip shows an additional $50.00 Mfg. rebate offer. Rebate offer started that day and only went for a week. Ended up getting one heck of a deal.
Joe
"All things are difficult before they are easy"Comment
-
Jeffrey, in this case it wasn't really any of the above. A bookstore is a place for me to go and sit while my wife and my sister are running around shopping this weekend. So if the bookstore wants to sell me the book I will sit and buy some coffee, etc and read it. But it isn't worth the premium to me to do that.David
The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment.Comment
-
If anyone can price match B&M stores with on-line stores, it might be the booksellers.
With most B&M stores, part of the built-in retail price includes shipping which is usually added on for on-line stores.
For books, USPS offers very low rates for books (media rate), a tradition that goes back to the US government wanting to encourage dissemination of ideas and knowledge, I believe. OTOH, shipping books to bookstores is probably relatively costly because of thier weight. So shipping individual books to end consumers might be attractive for on-line stores with large central warehouses or even drop shipping from the publishers themseleves.
Then, there's sales tax that item that instantly makes B&M stores and on-line stores with nation-wide local B&M locations (like HD, Lowes, Barnes and Noble), hard to compete with on-line only stores (like Amazon) or stores with B&M stores in only a few states (like LL Bean in the NE) that expanded to on-line before they expanded thru storefronts.
Loring in Katy, TX USA
If your only tool is a hammer, you tend to treat all problems as if they were nails.
BT3 FAQ - https://www.sawdustzone.org/forum/di...sked-questionsComment
-
That's why I offered the B&M stores the chance to match the total online price (item+shipping) . I figure I pay shipping either way, the only thing the B&M store is doing is matching the book price. And I expect the b&M Store to get a volume discount on shipping - their price per book to ship should be less than mine. I don't expect the B&M store to include sales tax in the online price match. I figure that is my premium for shopping locally.David
The chief cause of failure in this life is giving up what you want most for what you want at the moment.Comment
-
[QUOTE=LCHIEN;223211]
For books, USPS offers very low rates for books (media rate), a tradition that goes back to the US government wanting to encourage dissemination of ideas and knowledge, I believe. OTOH, shipping books to bookstores is probably relatively costly because of thier weight. So shipping individual books to end consumers might be attractive for on-line stores with large central warehouses or even drop shipping from the publishers themseleves.
QUOTE]
The only problem with that is that I have NEVER received a book shipment from Amazon via USPS. They are usually shipped FedEx Residential or UPS in my experience. Cited USPS Media Mail service time are measured in weeks versus days. Also Media Mail can actually cost more than USPS First Class mail in many occassions such as shipping small media locally. It was 3x more expensive to send a CD from York to Philadelphia with Media Mail versus 1st Class.Comment
-
which is why even some chain stores won't price match between themselves. The prices at Wally World in Manassass are alot better than the ones in Fairfax, but Fairfax won't pricematch because the overhead is so much higher. If you wan't to save the money, you have to drive the 15 miles.Mike
Lakota's Dad
If at first you don't succeed, deny you were trying in the first place.Comment
-
[QUOTE=Jeffrey Schronce;223218]That's strange. My wife orders lots of books from Amazon on a regular basis, and they (along with CDs and DVDs) almost always ship via USPS (using free super saver shipping). Shipping time is sometimes only a couple days, but then they frequently ship fron New Castle, DE, which is only a couple of USPS hops away. I'm not sure if they use media mail or some other option, but it's usually USPS.
JimComment
LCHIEN
Comment