Will 'showrooming' kill businesses?

[johanm]



The Armoury, Epaulet, Selfedge all seem to be good at this.

Those guys also benefit from exclusivity for many / most of the goods they sell. IMO that is critical for a B&M store to survive in 2012.

 

[Gus]

I was in an independent bookstore in Carmel, CA and they actually have signs up saying that scanning books UPC codes with phones is not allowed.

 

[lee_44106]



It only gets worse from here though, especially in countries where people don't really have the Judeo-Christian consciences - there's people who just sit in fancy bookstores with DSLRs and photo the books, and then go home. haha. I watched that for years in Korea and I think only now is it becoming frowned upon. I mean, the workers making $4/hr in there aren't exactly pushing sales in a mega-bookstore owned by a conglomerate...
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I usually hate to turn a proper thread topic discussion into something else entire.....but what the hell does basic religious tenets have to do with the topic at hand?

Are you implying, for instance, that the tenets that underpin Buddhism are for its followers to lie, cheat, and do ill to one's fellow men?

 

[Find Finn]

I chatted to a photography store owner sometime ago, he was complaining about people coming in getting guidance and using 5-10 minutes of his time only to say thanks and leave.

 

[Gus]



I chatted to a photography store owner sometime ago, he was complaining about people coming in getting guidance and using 5-10 minutes of his time only to say thanks and leave.

That is one of the main reasons why 3/4 of the camera shops in the Bay Area have closed in the last ten years. The few that are left have high-level and expensive pro stuff.

 

[Raindrop]

It's really more of a generation shift than anything.

Not to stereotype, but some of previous generations prefer to go in store, touch and feel the product, then purchase it, even at a higher price. They don't like going online, shopping, browsing, it's simply too much of a hassle for them as they're not technologically inclined. Also, the fear of credit card fraud, theft, viruses, tracking shipments, etc., they're simply not used to it.

However, this generation likes high quality goods at a fair, but preferably lowest price possible. It's only going to get worse, the more skilled we become with mobile browsing, touch pads, etc, it's simply too easy to click checkout, free shipping and return included.

I personally see a lot of restaurants replacing retail stores as you actually need to be there to eat something.

 

[impolyt_one]



I usually hate to turn a proper thread topic discussion into something else entire.....but what the hell does basic religious tenets have to do with the topic at hand?

yeah sorry, that was a can of worms waiting to be opened - but I speak from the perspective of someone who has lived in Asia for 10 years and morals and ethics are approached differently here, there isn't always someone above judging you, rather it's society - the angle is different. I was relating that to the way efficiency is king and that people's wallets will do all of the talking. Long backroad explanation needed here.

Anyway, B+M jumble shops with a bunch of trendy labels - who are they selling to if they're not online? Gas to get downtown is expensive, parking is expensive, stores can't ever carry all the things people want in the right colors and sizes, there's the dreaded feeling of trying to buy something and taking the gamble on whether it's gonna be there til the inevitable discount sale or not, there's a bunch of things wrong with that picture IMO.

 

[brad-t]



Are you implying, for instance, that the tenets that underpin Buddhism are for its followers to lie, cheat, and do ill to one's fellow men?

Yes, that's obviously what he meant. (10)

 

[Alcibiades]



The Armoury, Epaulet, Selfedge all seem to be good at this.

These guys are selling niche, luxury, and in many cases exclusive products to a small audience... Stores selling more generic gear will continue to have issues, which is why you see retail and mall vacancies remaining high.

 

[lee_44106]



yeah sorry, that was a can of worms waiting to be opened - but I speak from the perspective of someone who has lived in Asia for 10 years and morals and ethics are approached differently here, there isn't always someone above judging you, rather it's society - the angle is different. I was relating that to the way efficiency is king and that people's wallets will do all of the talking. Long backroad explanation needed here.
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I actually knew what you had try to say, but was somewhat giving you a hard time.

But don't fool yourself into thinking that people who grow up in a Judeo-Christian environment are incapable/not actively doing shady stuff.....World history from the past 200 years has ample history of such.

 

[SkinnyGoomba]

Showrooming is an interesting phenomenon, I don't think it will end the B&M store, people really do enjoy seeing a product before they buy it, it will make the B&M store fight harder for the customer and also chose a product line with a bit more interest in how else they distribute.

 

[Dbear]

This has been happening since forever.

It's why Best Buy is closing stores and going out of business.

 

[Find Finn]



Gas to get downtown is expensive, parking is expensive, stores can't ever carry all the things people want in the right colors and sizes, there's the dreaded feeling of trying to buy something and taking the gamble on whether it's gonna be there til the inevitable discount sale or not, there's a bunch of things wrong with that picture IMO.

People showrooming have already done this and spend their time doing it, so why not just buy it then and there.

If you add up what your time is worth that is a lot of wasted time.

 

[Parker]

Hasn't this been going on for, like, a decade? Amazon probably killed off 90% of the bookstores in my city. I think the shops that will succeed either offer some kind of added value such as expert advice, superior service or a unique environmental experience. Or the merchandise is so exclusive in that you can't really buy it anywhere else. Everyone else will have to compete on price and convenience.

on another note, technology seems like it can connect consumers with manufacturers easier, bypassing retailers altoghter in some cases.

 

[Find Finn]

It has, but people will go use the expert knowledge and then go buy it cheaply somewhere else.