The internet and how we buy and get the things we need (1 Viewer)

[BHM]

Plus I can't ever imagine remember to buy something like shop towels online. I always need them, I go through several rolls a month, but it's one of those things I spot while I'm on a milk and bread run. I'm not ever going to think about needing them while I'm at home in front of the computer.

Perfect situation for the Amazon Dash button or subscribe and save feature.


Place the dash button near your paper towels and simply press it when you are running out. Order will be placed and shipped.

Or the subscribe and save feature will automatically ship your paper towels in a predetermined amount and cycle that you select. Great for toilet paper, paper towels, detergent, tooth paste, deodorant and other items you use on a regular basis. Plus you get an additional 15% off if you have five or more items per cycle for.

 

[Bleu Raeder]

For me it represents the same joy I had as a kind and something came in the mail with my name on it. The anticipation of saving up the box tops for the cereal premium, sending them off and waiting. The only difference now is the wait is shorter and the variety is larger.

 

[Tapxe]

Pretty much the very reason why I see basic income as a future necessity. It would then free up people to work the part time and on-demand type jobs which companies seem to like so much. Or they could more creative and entrepreneurial to find ways of making extra money.

I've read where some experts think that as soon as 2030 the majority of jobs will be automated. What replaces those jobs? Will we as a species have reached the point where working is no longer really necessary? If you consider that we produce more than enough for everyone but just for the sake of currency throw so much away that others are starving to death, the model we have is antiquated and insufficient.

BBC - Future - Will machines eventually take on every job?

 

[Heathen Saint]

Give it a decade you'll be able to cut out the middle man and print out that part on your 3D printer

 

[Zack Lee]

online shopping doesn't bring out the human spirit and brotherhood of store shopping though. I am not sure we want to completely give that up.

 

[xpuma20x]

I always liked the Amazon Dash concept, but I just couldn't get over paying $5 for it. But then I saw that it comes with a $5 credit, so they're basically free. I'm going to have to go through all the options now and see which buttons they have available.

 

[BHM]

I always liked the Amazon Dash concept, but I just couldn't get over paying $5 for it. But then I saw that it comes with a $5 credit, so they're basically free. I'm going to have to go through all the options now and see which buttons they have available.

Look into getting an Amazon Echo instead. You can just tell her to purchase things or add item to a shopping list. Add a couple Amazon Does and you can add item from almost anywhere in your house.

In addition, she can turn lights on and off, change the hvac temp, play music, set timers and on and on

 

[superchuck500]

I do like Amazon for certain things, but I also find myself annoyed that there isn't a single place in town anymore where I could buy somethign like a new cartridge for my turntable, because I want it TODAY, and the clerk is like "have you checked Amazon?" Places don't bother stocking certain things anymore because they just assume you'll order it online. I remember when half the floor space at a Best Buy would be music and movies, and you could just browse for hours. Now it's like one display of new releases and nothing I want.

Plus I can't ever imagine remember to buy something like shop towels online. I always need them, I go through several rolls a month, but it's one of those things I spot while I'm on a milk and bread run. I'm not ever going to think about needing them while I'm at home in front of the computer.

I'm pretty sure that the reduction in Best Buy floor space for antiquated portable media (music and movies) isn't as much about online shopping as it is about how people use music and movies these days. People who still want the hard disc are a substantial minority. I certainly don't want anything to do with a CD or DVD - yes, I understand there are some advantages but it just leads to more physical clutter in my life.

People buy media online because streaming or downloads are the preferred method of acquisition and consumption, not the other way around, IMO. The hard media vendor was never anything more than a distribution middle man that has now been transitioned to a different distribution model.

 

[superchuck500]

Pretty much the very reason why I see basic income as a future necessity. It would then free up people to work the part time and on-demand type jobs which companies seem to like so much. Or they could more creative and entrepreneurial to find ways of making extra money.

I've read where some experts think that as soon as 2030 the majority of jobs will be automated. What replaces those jobs? Will we as a species have reached the point where working is no longer really necessary? If you consider that we produce more than enough for everyone but just for the sake of currency throw so much away that others are starving to death, the model we have is antiquated and insufficient.

BBC - Future - Will machines eventually take on every job?

This is a fascinating point - I didn't really think that this conversation would end up there but it makes perfect sense. But while what you're getting at is likely the end result, I shudder to think of how difficult that transition will be and how hard some people and interests will hold on to the old model. It is likely to be terribly messy.

 

[mb504]

Aside from the obvious convenience factor and the tremendous selection, I think it can't be ignored that a great deal of Amazon's appeal in the vast majority of jurisdictions that do not require them to collect state and local sales tax comes from the fact that this results in even more cost savings on top of any savings in the hard price. If, for example, I can find the same item very close to me in New Orleans for the same price as the same item on Amazon, I instantly save 10% by making the online purchase. (And yes, I know that I'm "supposed" to report this on my state income tax return, but until the state begins auditing my online purchase receipts I'm obviously not going to do that.)

My local shopping has become Costco for staples and even some clothing, supermarkets for meats and vegetables and things I don't want or need in bulk, and Walgreens/Rite Aid for things needed immediately. Everything else is purchased online. Does that hurt the local retail economy? I'm sure it does.

 

[Craigj]

With youtube and amazon the average person can fix almost anything. My dryer belt broke. So I watched a couple of videos and ordered one from amazon for $5. It took about 45 minutes. In the old days a repairman would have charged $100 labor and $50 for parts and that is if he's "honest."

 

[Complex Kid]

This is a fascinating point - I didn't really think that this conversation would end up there but it makes perfect sense. But while what you're getting at is likely the end result, I shudder to think of how difficult that transition will be and how hard some people and interests will hold on to the old model. It is likely to be terribly messy.

We are having a hard enough time convincing people that health care benefits shouldn't be tied to your job, imagine how difficult it will be to convince them that their wages shouldn't be either.

 

[Meachemdat]

I do like Amazon for certain things, but I also find myself annoyed that there isn't a single place in town anymore where I could buy somethign like a new cartridge for my turntable, because I want it TODAY, and the clerk is like "have you checked Amazon?" Places don't bother stocking certain things anymore because they just assume you'll order it online. I remember when half the floor space at a Best Buy would be music and movies, and you could just browse for hours. Now it's like one display of new releases and nothing I want.

Plus I can't ever imagine remember to buy something like shop towels online. I always need them, I go through several rolls a month, but it's one of those things I spot while I'm on a milk and bread run. I'm not ever going to think about needing them while I'm at home in front of the computer.

The music industry.

 

[Heathen Saint]

I also use Jet which is on average cheaper than Amazon, and you get free shipping on all orders over $35. Their selection is obviously not as broad yet, but they'll get there. And who doesn't love cool purple boxes on your doorstep?

I'm glad Amazon will start to face some competition online. It's going to be fascinating to watch online retailers boom and see traditional physical retail stores feel the effects. I don't even think Best Buy is completely safe, down the road at least.

 

[Heathen Saint]

The music industry.

Music, Movies...I know these stores aren't extinct but they've fallen off the map thanks to the ubiquity of the internet/connected devices