Online shopping v Local shopping - Page 4

GreenR · 22-12-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stefbec

What you don't have a region free DVD player or the local kids selling burnt movies from down the road.
Or the kids Xbox360 flashed the Wii chipped the DS with a mod card or what ever other gaming console or movie playing device.
.

Sorry wasn't clear I meant games. And my Xbox 360 can't be modded

pottery beige · 22-12-2010, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by efi65

to pottery beige, are you a bussiness owner or what? i used to have my workshop so i was in retail, wholesale and manufactering,I know personally how much mark up some retaillers put on there products, one such company put in excess of 200 % . And you cant try and say the excuse of there overheads for the mark up on the price , it was/ is greed, the more you sell the higher your turn over and the higher your turn over the cheaper you get your product for, if you decide to go into bussiness you should worked out your overheads to see if you can make/sell the product at a competive price, the thing retaillers have to understand the days of price gouging are over

nah i'm just a consumer with fourteen kids and a mortage... i know what i can save doesnt bother me if im putting shoes on feet and food on the table elsewhere such is the philanthropic **** i am i am.........

GreenR · 22-12-2010, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

i know what i can save doesnt bother me if im putting shoes on feet and food on the table elsewhere

Helping others is a good thing. However it is not the same if we are talking about spending money in retail gigantics such as Harvey Norman. More like putting Porsche's in driveways, and mansions on land.

snappy · 22-12-2010, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4Vman

There's a big difference between being tight or careful with you money and having a limited, selfish or simplistic view of local retail economics, the cost of providing employment and the cost of providing govt funded infrastructure and services.....

Fev has a point though , The article i read the other day federal goverment spent 11 million in set up and admin costs for 2.9 million dollars worth of loans for aboriginals .
It would of been cheaper and more productive to just give them the 2.9 mil

pottery beige · 22-12-2010, 10:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plarazza

Helping others is a good thing. However it is not the same if we are talking about spending money in retail gigantics such as Harvey Norman. More like putting Porsche's in driveways, and mansions on land.

havent bought a flash flat telly coffee grinding thingo poofo off sum rich DH yet i wait until **** blows up... meanwhile i spend lots with Mr little anywhere anytime.....

pottery beige · 22-12-2010, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snappy

Fev has a point though , The article i read the other day federal goverment spent 11 million in set up and admin costs for 2.9 million dollars worth of loans for aboriginals .
It would of been cheaper and more productive to just give them the 2.9 mil

all i can say about that is... SORRY.......

snappy · 22-12-2010, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

if you dont support something it will die.... bye bye Mr Manufacturing Industry.. bye bye Mr Retail Sector.. all you bloody Aussie bargain hunters are headed for another big whinge session..... more local jobs down the gurgler......

Not at all shops will go online , And how do you think the items get from china to your door . It sure as hell isn't by pigeon .
The jobs will be picked up in other places . Part time teenagers will be hit the hardest . Just dont be fooled by Jerry harvey and places like myer going poor because they cant make there record profits for the 5th year in a row .

Myer , harvey Norman , etc there just middle men there time has come

XD 351 Ute · 22-12-2010, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pottery beige

all i can say about that is... SORRY.......

You just scored points for that one....

My take on this on-line thing is that I give the locals a chance to make a sale.
IF the service is as it should be, and the salesperson goes about things the right way, I will buy from them regardless of price. (sensibly I'm talking).

If they do their best to make my day turn into not a nice one, and if I smell a rip off, I will go elsewhere, on-line if needs be.

I shop on E-Bay for things that I can't get locally, and for things that I collect, aka motoring (Ford) memorabilia.

What goes around, comes around in most cases.

Years ago our local Woolworths closed up shop because of hard times, and there weren't any real alternatives, so we had to then travel another 1/2 an hour to the next food market.

Now they're back, and I buy from them, but I also buy from the other smaller places that are here, just so everyone can make a living, and for the competition.

Ed

Deaks · 22-12-2010, 11:16 PM

I work in retail (photographics) and i see both sides of the fence. Yes its cheaper to buy online, blind freddy knows that. We have customers come in with 10 pages they have printed off the net with prices from OMG to WTF but we still manage to sell them the goods.

And im not sure what world (era) some of you are living in, but the days of "massive" margins are long gone in my industry. When i started (8 years ago) making 15% on a camera sale was as low as we would go. Nowdays making anything is welcomed.

Buying products yourself online is easy, doing it as a major retailer is not. We have deals in place, we dont set the rrp. If something costs us $475, we then add gst, so now its $522.50, say we want to sell it for $599, thats a whopping $78 profit. If thats your idea of ripping the average joe off, well im guilty.

What does irk me most, is the customer who has no interest in buying from us, but is more than happy to come into the store and spend a half hour going through everything only to say they can get it online cheaper.

As others have said, theres no answer to this question, but im sure hoping it doesnt cost me my living, and those of my fellow retailers.

AC/DC · 22-12-2010, 11:25 PM

Having been to China on an "international retail buyer" visit, it would SHOCK and SURPRISE the general public to see the amount of perfect fake stuff online.

Technically there are different trading laws with certain types on online shopping. A lot of consumer electronics online retailers dont have to state that their products are "repaired" factory DOA's ( dead on arrival stock )

Yes, there are a lot of bargains out there.

And, there are also a lot of decent stores, decent local advice and the most important thing of all........ customer service......

99% of the stuff that comes from China wont be repaired by Australian repair agents, and out of this 99%, , about 20% of it is probably going to fail. The failure rate is written into the production cost.

Oh, , and I have seen 100% PERFECT fake products such as....

Ipods, Cameras, Nokias, Sunglasses, Shoes, Wallets, Knives, and even to my surprise laptops.... yep, , I couldnt pick it , , it was about a year ago - PDC 2.2Ghz, 4GB Ram, 500GB Hdd, , completely faked.....

Its a fun world online and everyone gets a bargain but everyone will get bitten !

Craig

pottery beige · 22-12-2010, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaks

I work in retail (photographics) and i see both sides of the fence. Yes its cheaper to buy online, blind freddy knows that. We have customers come in with 10 pages they have printed off the net with prices from OMG to WTF but we still manage to sell them the goods.

And im not sure what world (era) some of you are living in, but the days of "massive" margins are long gone in my industry. When i started (8 years ago) making 15% on a camera sale was as low as we would go. Nowdays making anything is welcomed.

Buying products yourself online is easy, doing it as a major retailer is not. We have deals in place, we dont set the rrp. If something costs us $475, we then add gst, so now its $522.50, say we want to sell it for $599, thats a whopping $78 profit. If thats your idea of ripping the average joe off, well im guilty.

What does irk me most, is the customer who has no interest in buying from us, but is more than happy to come into the store and spend a half hour going through everything only to say they can get it online cheaper.

As others have said, theres no answer to this question, but im sure hoping it doesnt cost me my living, and those of my fellow retailers.

thankyou.. someone from the retail side.... i buy plenty of bits for my cars from a few buddys out there in retail land.. we shoot the breeze this and that i know their margins are f all but i'm still pushing coin through their counter........

snappy · 22-12-2010, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaks

I work in retail (photographics) and i see both sides of the fence. Yes its cheaper to buy online, blind freddy knows that. We have customers come in with 10 pages they have printed off the net with prices from OMG to WTF but we still manage to sell them the goods.

And im not sure what world (era) some of you are living in, but the days of "massive" margins are long gone in my industry. When i started (8 years ago) making 15% on a camera sale was as low as we would go. Nowdays making anything is welcomed.

Buying products yourself online is easy, doing it as a major retailer is not. We have deals in place, we dont set the rrp. If something costs us $475, we then add gst, so now its $522.50, say we want to sell it for $599, thats a whopping $78 profit. If thats your idea of ripping the average joe off, well im guilty.

What does irk me most, is the customer who has no interest in buying from us, but is more than happy to come into the store and spend a half hour going through everything only to say they can get it online cheaper.

As others have said, theres no answer to this question, but im sure hoping it doesnt cost me my living, and those of my fellow retailers.

Making $79 dollars a camera if you sell a handful a day is chooks feed But if your a major retailer selling 1000 camera's a day your ripping us off .
And if you do nothing about it probly will cost you your living you need to keep up with the times unfortunately , sell them online your self you buy them from china, japan for $475 sell them Australia wide at $490 and your overheads and rental are smaller much smaller but i doubt your profits will be .

Its not new its even happened in my trade(plasterer) ten years ago trowelling boxes came out they did and still do a ordinary job but they did it 3 times faster . I allways said i will never use them poor quality and all that jazz well 10 years on i would not be able to win a quote without them . Unless i charged 3 times less a hour then the blokes that use them . Its just business

Deaks · 22-12-2010, 11:43 PM

The T2 (refurbished DOA items) stock is something that consumers have no idea about. People think when they send back a DOA product that it gets binned. Not so. Ive had many a customer go red in the face telling me their camera has Australian warranty. I agree, as long as you dont mind it going back to Hong Kong for said warranty.

Obviously, alot of this has nothing to do with most internet sales. But in my industry it does.

Deaks · 22-12-2010, 11:53 PM

So because im not a major retailer im not ripping you off, but the big guys are? That makes no sence.

As i said theres no answer for this, as we arent in business to make as little as we can, we are all trying to make a living. So as a plasterer, if you could try to make $79 on a job which you consider to be excellent (due to your service) or let the customer use the guy who has nfi what hes doing but can do it cheaper by your profit margin, should you then make no money? Or should you just keep on plugging away? Its a vicous circle.

I knew replying to this thread was frought with danger.

Stazza_Brendan · 23-12-2010, 01:00 AM

I buy alot of stuff online. From within Australia and OS.
Living in Mackay the prices on items here are outrageous compared to neighboring cities.
Guy at work priced a lounge at a large retailer (cant remember the name of the place) and it was $3000. He ummed and arrr'd and decided to ring around. He rang the exact same retailer but in Bowen (180km away) and the price was $2500 for the same lounge. He could have driven to Bowen , picked the lounge up, had lunch and driven back and still come out a few 100 bucks ahead.

Thinking about it all the parts for my XR6 have been bought from online apart from the panel filter. Installed myself ive saved myself a tonne of cash. Heck i even found my car on carsales.

Larger more expensive items i tend to buy from local retailers like TV's and large electrical items. Mainly so i know its genuine and for ease of warranty matters. But ill do my research and go through retailers catalouges online to find the best deal.

Im guessing the government will come under pressure for the retailers to try slow down the online shopping explosion. Easiest way would be taxing higher rate for imported goods (lower the $1000 cutoff and raise the % of import tax) or buy having a fixed fee for import goods.

GT 160 · 23-12-2010, 09:32 AM

Oops wrong thread.

geckoGT · 23-12-2010, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaks

What does irk me most, is the customer who has no interest in buying from us, but is more than happy to come into the store and spend a half hour going through everything only to say they can get it online cheaper.

That I can totally understand. I do not buy a lot online but our online buy rate is increasing and that is one thing that I will not do. I will not go into a local retailer and use their floor stock to "try it on" and then walk out and buy it online. I do my product research on everything online but if I need to look at the physical product before buying, I buy it from a local retailer. If I am happy with the product description and know what I am getting, I buy it online. There is no way I would waste the time of a retailer like that.

In my opinion buying online has certain risks attached to it, like not getting what is described, getting damaged goods and having warranty issues. They are the risks of buying online and local retailers should not be expected to support you in this.

302 XC · 23-12-2010, 10:35 AM

I to are not one to waste retailers time "tyre kicking"
Its it a complete waste of their time and mine
All reasearch is done online
Prices,models,faults if any
Im armed with info before heading out on a buying spree
Myself being on the front line with the public for many years,have really got over the
"Time wasters" or "yeah i like it but its well more than i want to spend"
(as opposed to what ???)
But in saying that spending the time with customers to yield a $10-$20-$50-$1K product has returned future sales and great referals
Something thats hard to do on a price basis on line
But seriously if the likes of bunnings, hardly normal and others are too dear for your liking ,dont buy there
But there must be many who do,because they are alive and kickin and quite well

snappy · 23-12-2010, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deaks

So because im not a major retailer im not ripping you off, but the big guys are? That makes no sence.

As i said theres no answer for this, as we arent in business to make as little as we can, we are all trying to make a living. So as a plasterer, if you could try to make $79 on a job which you consider to be excellent (due to your service) or let the customer use the guy who has nfi what hes doing but can do it cheaper by your profit margin, should you then make no money? Or should you just keep on plugging away? Its a vicous circle.

I knew replying to this thread was frought with danger.

There is a difference between making a living and making obscene profits .
But yes what i wrote made little to no sense (sorry it was late) What i meant to say or at least should of said is if the major retailer is selling them at the same price as you under a higher profit margin yes there ripping us of.

As a plasterer i have no choice if the customers keep going to the guy that has nfi i have no choice but to follow his price .
I would have to find a way to make money or stop offering my services .
Its already happened
Ive got plasterboard supply shops taking all the work charging the same labour as me but they wont sell me the materials i need at the same price as they quote for .
Then ive got asians up the road buying the materials at the same price as me but doing the labour cheaper .
So now i contract for one of plasterboard supply shops and do my work faster and less acurate job to keep my profit margin . Yes i still have builders that ring me wanting the top shelf job but there few and far between and not enough to make a living off. I have to adapt and evolve or face becoming extinct I should not have to expect the goverment to subsidise me or punish the competition or worse the consumer to stay in business

XB GS 351 Coupe · 23-12-2010, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snappy

I have to adapt and evolve or face becoming extinct I should not have to expect the goverment to subsidise me or punish the competition or worse the consumer to stay in business

Probably the smartest comment in these thread and it sums it up nicely, if retailers can not compete they have to adapt, it is called natural selection where only the strongest survive.

The big retailers have killed off the small business, and everyone was complaining about small business becoming extinct, when the giants like Harvey Norman, Dan Murphies, Bunnings etc etc started taking over.

Now the smart small business has reacted by going online and underselling the big retailers, now they complain. I believe just buy your stuff that you want/need as cheap as you can, and the world will sort itself out as it always does, the strongest will survive.

Just today saved myself a nice few $$$ rang up the local shop for two parts I needed, they wanted $180 for part A and $89 for part B, got onto e bay, part A $150 and part B $60 delivered (from Aussie seller), searched the web in the US, part A A$79 and part B A$29, plus $30 delivery, placed my order and payed with paypal for risk free transaction.

So I went from $269 from the local shop to $138, saving myself $131 on brand name products I needed, almost half, so I can go and pick myself up a 'free' case of beer for the week end, and take the missus and kids out for some chinese for dinner tonight 'free of charge', and still have change in my pocket for breakfast and coffee at Gloria Jeans tomorrow morning. (so money still going ito the local economy, but just not the the large retailers)

There for I have greatly improved my enjoyment of life, done some good for the family, ands still got the essential parts I needed regardless. This was one transaction today, I have many every week.....

flappist · 23-12-2010, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by snappy

There is a difference between making a living and making obscene profits .
But yes what i wrote made little to no sense (sorry it was late) What i meant to say or at least should of said is if the major retailer is selling them at the same price as you under a higher profit margin yes there ripping us of.

As a plasterer i have no choice if the customers keep going to the guy that has nfi i have no choice but to follow his price .
I would have to find a way to make money or stop offering my services .
Its already happened
Ive got plasterboard supply shops taking all the work charging the same labour as me but they wont sell me the materials i need at the same price as they quote for .
Then ive got asians up the road buying the materials at the same price as me but doing the labour cheaper .
So now i contract for one of plasterboard supply shops and do my work faster and less acurate job to keep my profit margin . Yes i still have builders that ring me wanting the top shelf job but there few and far between and not enough to make a living off. I have to adapt and evolve or face becoming extinct I should not have to expect the goverment to subsidise me or punish the competition or worse the consumer to stay in business

There should be no protection for small business in the same way there should be no protection for employees.

Survival of the fittest, anyone can be terminated on the spot, no holidays or sickies, outsource everything to cheaper overseas places.

Yep great idea......

I have no problem with the overseas grey importing or internet "megastores" as long as the odds are even.

That is, the same taxes and laws are applied equally.

Bucknaked · 23-12-2010, 06:17 PM

I don't buy much online at all. I still shop locally at places like Woolies or coles and at Target or KMart. (Yes I know it does not support individual retailers, but they usually have what I need) I prefer just to walk in and buy what I need rather than wait for it.

I know I can save money going online, but I like to be able to take something back if it's broken or damaged and it's easier to deal with Joe Blow from KMart than it is from Mr Wong in Hong Kong.

Why can't the choice be ours. If they the retailers cannot be more competative, why should they get the business. Do you shop around when you buy insurance, or looking for a new car? Why can't you shop around for things you can get in the post from OS. Consumers should have the right to choose where they shoip. Gerry Harvey should shut his mouth. Adding GST only benefits the government.

Franco Cozzo · 23-12-2010, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plarazza

Sorry wasn't clear I meant games. And my Xbox 360 can't be modded

PS3 games have no region coding, the only thing you have to be wary of is if the game has region locked multiplayer, for example, Metal Gear Online, PAL countries are grouped together, so Australia/NZ and Europe, America and Japan are together as NTSC, Australians cant play with Americans.

74_XB_Ute · 23-12-2010, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

Gerry Harvey should shut his mouth. Adding GST only benefits the government.

Exactly....why should we line the pockets of the federal government more...so they can buy investment houses in Canberra using their accomodation allowance as a federal member of government. So we can pay their massive superannuation which they can get well before retirement age .... like the rest of us commoners they should have to wait too!

If retailers were so apt on keeping the business here in Australia then why dont they support australian manufacturers more. I realise not everything is manufactured in Australia but many products are. Why...because its cheaper to buy overseas for the retailer....well...us consumers are just exercising our right to do that too.

AC/DC · 23-12-2010, 07:34 PM

If you think retailers are ripping us off, , see how much a Ford dealer charges per hour for an Apprentice ( $20 hour ) to do a service on your falcon !

302 XC · 23-12-2010, 07:37 PM

Flappist,
I get your point with instant dismisal and the like
But IF im not mistaken many Aussie products were outsourced long before online sellings was the key issue
As i mentioned a few posts ago
WHY was it 5-6 years ago cheaper to buy Aussie made BHP steel cheaper from overseas than here where its made
Nothin at all to do with online shopping
What about places like barnings, supacheep ect
Whats the average wage of the workers in this places ???
Been employing lower $$$ scale workers for years nothin at all to do with online selling
Mcdonalds is the same
Why do employers employ overseas workers ???
Has that got to do with online selling also ???
Me thinks not

Buy where your comfortable buying from,if the prices are to dear simple, buy elsewhere
Level playing field
Didnt barnings (deliberately spelt wrong) shaft the smaller sellers with cheaper prices
Once the monopoly was theres did their prices stay low ???
No way

snappy · 23-12-2010, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC/DC

If you think retailers are ripping us off, , see how much a Ford dealer charges per hour for an Apprentice ( $20 hour ) to do a service on your falcon !

$20 Thats cheap the dealer would only be breaking even and thats if he is lucky .
By the time insurance, work cover, super ,sick pay , holiday pay ,trade school and his wages . Most of the dealers ive been to are charging around $120 an hour

**ebxr8240** · 23-12-2010, 10:55 PM

The retailer's are coming off a high from Gov payouts,low interest rates the last few years...
Didn't hear any complaints back then !!!
Then interest rates increased due to inflation...
Guess where a fair amount of this money was spent ???
Gee's they can't have all there way !!!!

rancidpunx · 23-12-2010, 11:26 PM

I buy a lot of "stuff" online as I hate shopping with a passion. I hate having to mingle amongst people and stand in line and spend an age looking for something. I also hate having to hand over my life details to pay for something, the hassles you go through with faulty items or items that break down, and more and more items like Phones that die within the first 20mins and the companies dont want to know. If I cant go into a shop and be out again within 30secs to 1min they have lost my business. Same goes with parking, if i cant find a spot or a spot that im happy with, I drive away and get shouted at by the missus. Bunnings is an exception (which she hates) I will spend all day in there doing maths and working out how much timber I may need for a project I have just thought of.
I will buy important things (electronics, speciality, warranted items etc) locally at a price im happy with, not necessarily the cheapest as long as its easy.

XB GS 351 Coupe · 23-12-2010, 11:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AC/DC

If you think retailers are ripping us off, , see how much a Ford dealer charges per hour for an Apprentice ( $20 hour ) to do a service on your falcon !

Wow tell me where, I think you are a mile out there mate, I dont think there would be a dealer or workshop charging less than $65 per hour. They would need to charge that much just to make a few $$$.....

$20 would not cover the wages by a long shot unless he is on $2 per hour.