AIBU to please ask you not to plough even more money into Amazon over this lockdown?

[schitter]

I know, it's cheap and easy.
I know you probably need to find the lowest price you can.
I know it being delivered straight to your door is win win on non essential trips out.

But pleeeasssssse let's not make the richest man in the world any richer than he is already if you have any other option.
Even shopping online with the big high street retailers is better than lining JBs pockets.
Look at those little individual eBay shops that'll no doubt have exactly what you're looking for and you only have to wait a couple of days extra, it's not the end of the world.

Please look around you, please look what else is available.
Lots of your local shops have diversified into offering home delivery because their livelihoods depend on it.

My livelihood depends on it! My little business did 3% (yes, three percent) of its usual sales in April. I permanently laid off 4 staff and haven't made a penny personally since.
I feel sick at the thought.

They are essentially parasites.

Such an over reaction. A company that employs thousands and offers a platform to small businesses many of which probably wouldn't have survived without the exposure is not a blooming parasite.

I will buy through a mixture of outlets as I always do. There are many other people making a living via Amazon so it’s not that clear cut. Sorry about your business but wouldn’t it be more realistic to say that if everyone bought at least 1 present from a small business/ local shop, what a difference that would make, rather than dictating what people should do with their money. It’s very off putting tbh.

"what about all the employees who work for Amazon? They'll be the first to lose their jobs if Amazon make redundancies - are their jobs not just as important as other people's?"

Is it a good employer?
OP isn't saying don't shop, she's saying shop somewhere else, the workers would still be needed, but elsewhere.

Personally, I just don't know where else to shop for the things I need where I am. I don't want to have to go to a different website for every type of thing either.

YANBU

if you're a small business and want me to not use amazon, please, please

1. advertise so that I know you exist and

2. offer next day delivery or two days at very, very most

I'm impatient, leave things to the last minute, I'm disorganised and only think of stuff needed the day before. Amazon caters perfectly to my utter failings as a human. If you do too and I know you're there and that I can receive your goods quickly then I'll use your business instead

For books, bookshop.org is being launched in the UK this week: www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/02/this-is-revolutionary-new-online-bookshop-unites-indies-to-rival-amazon

There are also Foyles online and Blackwells, and maybe more I haven't yet found.

I use a mixture of Amazon, the makers own websites and independents. Amazon for small items next day on Prime like earphones, headphones, charger cables, mousemats, used to get DVDs and video games, and electric toothbrush heads that cost a fortune in Boots and aren't worth paying delivery on. Amazon is rubbish for things like bedding.

Look on Amazon and research what is available elsewhere. Sometimes Amazon is more expensive - a few years ago was looking for Lego sets, and the prices increased as it got nearer to Christmas. This year a garden storage unit on Amazon was more than double the price it was at B&Q (in turn, we tend to buy from local hardware shops rather than B&Q but they don't stock things like that).

They are essentially parasites.

Such an over reaction. A company that employs thousands and offers a platform to small businesses many of which probably wouldn't have survived without the exposure is not a blooming parasite.

I don;t see them as parasites at all- yes they take a cut, but if I had a real life shop I would be paying a great deal in rent, business rates etc.
Plus they have millions of people visit their site every day- I can't hope to attract that number to my own website.

I don;t grudge them a penny of the fees I pay.

OP if your product isn't compatible with Amazon, why does people buying things on Amazon affect your business? Or do you mean you want people to buy things they can't get from Amazon from smaller businesses, rather than the things they can from Amazon, from Amazon?

Well that might work for some things. But I am not buying crafty tat from independent suppliers, because I don't like it.

With another lockdown about to start with uncertainty as to when all the shops will open again, Christmas and general shopping will have to be online, whether that be Amazon or other retailers.

I run a small business and we sell on Amazon

How does one differentiate on amazon between small businesses that are using it as a platform and the amazon behemoth?

I love Amazon

Quick, easy, dependable and they deal with problems with no fuss

eBay. I wouldn't trust it

I've bought some things through Not on the High Street bit Amazon are a major
Employer locally

I wish I'd had the idea to set it up

I will try to use it less and use independent more but I will still use it too. Not only it has helped a lot in lockdown 1 but also their customer service is faultless. I always received immediate refunds from them without a quibble when the actual seller was refusing to engage.

I’ve been using Amazon pretty much since it first started and the things they have consistently done well is low prices and outstanding customer service.

For example I’ve over lockdown I had problems buying through the marketplace twice, (2 separate companies) and my money was refunded by Amazon without question.

Also for someone who has a child with SEN who simply can’t cope with going to the shops it’s an absolute lifesaver. I can access a wide range of goods at reasonable prices and more often than not have them delivered the next day. And during lockdown it was an absolute life saver- we could get hold of printer ink, paper, pencils, craft stuff, clothes etc.

When all those who use prime also complain about low paid jobs and a loss of the high st.......

op you can spend your money how you like but dont tell other people (random strangers on mumsnet) how to spend theirs

What do you sell OP? Maybe people can advise you?

Retailers big and small sell on Amazon as part of a multichannel strategy. They will sell on marketplaces like amazon, eBay, onbuy etc, their own site, retail partners eg John Lewis and now social commerce directly through Facebook and instagram.

I totally agree with supporting local businesses and I do that a lot myself, but many small businesses also rely on their amazon traffic and sales to stay afloat.

I think spreading the spends is a good idea, however their model provided invaluable service and security during the first part of this pandemic and they were able to very quickly adjust to different buying priorities, I was pretty impressed.

@vanillandhoney

I've never understood this "boycott Amazon" thing - for two reasons.

1 - lots of small businesses trade on Amazon.
2 - and what about all the employees who work for Amazon? They'll be the first to lose their jobs if Amazon make redundancies - are their jobs not just as important as other people's?

Its virtue signalling that's all, I order a lot from amazon most of it comes from small businesses.

I try!! Buts it’s hard when I find a book at JL for £17 and the same book is £11 on amazon!

@chubley

For books, bookshop.org is being launched in the UK this week: www.theguardian.com/books/2020/nov/02/this-is-revolutionary-new-online-bookshop-unites-indies-to-rival-amazon

There are also Foyles online and Blackwells, and maybe more I haven't yet found.

I use a mixture of Amazon, the makers own websites and independents. Amazon for small items next day on Prime like earphones, headphones, charger cables, mousemats, used to get DVDs and video games, and electric toothbrush heads that cost a fortune in Boots and aren't worth paying delivery on. Amazon is rubbish for things like bedding.

Look on Amazon and research what is available elsewhere. Sometimes Amazon is more expensive - a few years ago was looking for Lego sets, and the prices increased as it got nearer to Christmas. This year a garden storage unit on Amazon was more than double the price it was at B&Q (in turn, we tend to buy from local hardware shops rather than B&Q but they don't stock things like that).

Except Foyles is now owned by Waterstones, so not the lovely independent it used to be. They'll probably sell the building in a few years, purely for the real estate value of the flagship store. sighs

I'll still be using it thanks.

I buy very little from
Amazon, I'm very lucky to live near a market where you can a lot of great things brand new very cheaply. However if I really want something that I can only get on Amazon then I do buy it.

In the past I've seen something I like on Amazon, realised it was sold by a small independent, googled the name, ordered direct and got it cheaper.

I now try to do this on a regular basis. I don't want Amazon to have a monopoly on retail.

YANBU