The whole economy pays the Amazon tax(pluralistic.net)
pluralistic.net
The whole economy pays the Amazon tax
https://pluralistic.net/2026/02/25/most-favored-nation/#price-fixing
8 comments
Related: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47145907
And why does everyone shop Amazon?
Because Wal-Mart can't figure out inventory.
If Wal-Marts web site says a product is available for local pickup, the odds are pretty good that it's not.
I know this from experience --- and from Wal-Mart employees who tell me, "Don't believe the web site".
The useless trip to Wal-Mart costs me more than Amazon. So I just buy it on Amazon and avoid the exercise in futility.
Someone wake me up when this changes.
Because Wal-Mart can't figure out inventory.
If Wal-Marts web site says a product is available for local pickup, the odds are pretty good that it's not.
I know this from experience --- and from Wal-Mart employees who tell me, "Don't believe the web site".
The useless trip to Wal-Mart costs me more than Amazon. So I just buy it on Amazon and avoid the exercise in futility.
Someone wake me up when this changes.
This problem affects most brick and mortar retail. Every online pickup system has some method of substituting or excluding items when the system thinks they’re in stock but can’t be found on the shelves.
My guess is that it’s a function of products either being shoplifted or just “wandering off” when a customer takes an item and then returns it to the wrong location. Recently I thought Walmart was out of an item I wanted, but I scoured the shelves and found one unit left sitting 3 shelves down and 4 feet away. I doubt a picker would have gone to the same lentils to locate it. In the case of many perishables the store is actually obligated to discard these items because you can’t tell how long that package of ham has been sitting in the sporting goods aisle.
One particularly egregious case recently was when an auto parts store said they had an item in stock that they keep behind the counter. To their credit, they called me and told me they could get the part from a neighboring store by the next day. Still faster than I would have received it from Amazon.
My guess is that it’s a function of products either being shoplifted or just “wandering off” when a customer takes an item and then returns it to the wrong location. Recently I thought Walmart was out of an item I wanted, but I scoured the shelves and found one unit left sitting 3 shelves down and 4 feet away. I doubt a picker would have gone to the same lentils to locate it. In the case of many perishables the store is actually obligated to discard these items because you can’t tell how long that package of ham has been sitting in the sporting goods aisle.
One particularly egregious case recently was when an auto parts store said they had an item in stock that they keep behind the counter. To their credit, they called me and told me they could get the part from a neighboring store by the next day. Still faster than I would have received it from Amazon.
Still faster than I would have received it from Amazon.
Maybe faster but I doubt it was any cheaper --- certainly not enough to compensate for the time and effort and gasoline you spent looking for the item and returning back the next day to pick it up.
Maybe faster but I doubt it was any cheaper --- certainly not enough to compensate for the time and effort and gasoline you spent looking for the item and returning back the next day to pick it up.
Actually, because I only needed a small quantity of a bulk product, it was much cheaper than ordering from Amazon. And I selected a location such that it was a quick detour from where we were out running errands the next day anyway. Amazon beats brick and mortar prices frequently, but not always.
In my experience with auto parts --- you usually have to pay more to get it "right now".
If you can wait; Amazon, PartsGeek or RockAuto are usually better options.
If you can wait; Amazon, PartsGeek or RockAuto are usually better options.
This is also my experience, except for small parts (where Amazon still inflates the cost to cover shipping, even if you pay for Prime) and parts sold in bulk (like hoses). Sure, I can buy 5 feet of hose on Amazon for $15, but I can just buy the 1 foot I actually need for $4 in store. Also, a lot of Amazon parts are of dubious quality, whereas if I buy a name brand in store I know I'm getting a part I can trust.
RockAuto is fantastic and usually has the best prices by a huge margin, but if you're not careful you'll kill any savings with shipping costs.
RockAuto is fantastic and usually has the best prices by a huge margin, but if you're not careful you'll kill any savings with shipping costs.