There are some things I cannot get in town. St Ives Exfoliating Apricot Body wash for one..I let my local grocery store know, no it has not been discontinued it is just not available from the distributor. I order it Online. Recently Secret Flawless Clear Gel Unscented Antiperspirant went off the shelves in our local stores. I ordered it Online. The P and G website says it is an available product at my local Wal-Mart..I sent them an email giving them the real scoop.
I don’t mind ordering online, because more often than not I end up saving money even with the shipping.
How much do you suppose the Internet is effecting local business? I have not been on Main Street for months.
Not that I am any where near the pulse of the shopping world. If I had a cow and a few chickens and could garden year round..and grow Apples and Bananas up here in the frozen tundra I would be all set. I would only go to town twice a year..with my horse and buggy..because with the price of gas going up nearly everyday pretty soon that may be our only option:)
We do the same when we can't find it in town, or it's just too expensive. Like Revolution flea killer for the cats. I can get a 3 month supply for 2 cats, delivered to my mailbox, for less than I can get one treatment for both cats at the vet.
ReplyDeleteAnd gas is getting scary again, for sure.
Wish we were closer to retiring so we could get settled before things get too much worse.
It's a tough call on either side of the store counter. For the retailer, the price of items is going up, and the amount of sales going down, so they drop the supplier. For the consumer, the price is going up, so they don't purchase...and the end sales are less, so the product is dropped.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard enough for us Canadians, the shipping costs are very high out here, and when something crosses the border, we might have to pay duty on it. There are a limted amount of Canadian websites compared to the US.
What are you to do? ..... it's almost like the small retailers are pricing themselves out of business.
Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams
We were discussing that very thing yesterday. I find I'm ordering more online that I ever thought I would and even from the US it's still a lot cheaper.
ReplyDeleteI think about this a lot, because I find internet shopping so convenient. I can find a big assortment, or just the perfect product, without leaving home. But even in the city we are losing the small independent retailers that provided more character. In a small town, that's a huge consideration. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI ordered gift cards online for my grandchildren's Christmas gifts. It was easier than driving to the mall to the Apple Store or Barnes & Noble. Then I read that I should have driven, because the sales tax at the mall would have supported the local community, and the one I pay online doesn't. Have to give that some thought next time.
ReplyDeleteYeah, me too...especially since I live smack in the middle of nowhere. Heck, I'd dot~com my groceries if I could!!!
ReplyDeleteBTW: I ofter use sugar to exfoliate. I scrub and let it dry while shavin' or soakin'. I like it even better that the St. Ives I used for years.
God bless and have an amazin' weekend sweetie! :o)
Just yesterday, two of the stores I frequent in town announced they are closing. Like you, I am able to order online and usually it's a better deal and with gas going up, I'm glad I don't have to leave home.
ReplyDeleteWishing you all a happy Valentine's Day.
Unless we want to travel 40 miles we are limited here to what Walmart keeps in stock. Makes me mad too. We used to have more choices until that mega monolithic store ran out all our other small businesses. Now we are held hostage to buying only what they have on hand. I do order over the internet, but I hate paying shipping charges. I think that internet shopping and Walmart are equal culprits in destroying local business.
ReplyDeleteI just don't do Walmart, but it's because I'm not forced to. Online shopping is the way to do a whole lot of things, but as you know, sometimes you might end up with a whole lot more hot sauce than you bargained for. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat happens when the internet goes down?
ReplyDeleteSo far our stores carry everything I need, but one day I will go to get something and it will be discontinued ! Maybe the Amish have a lot on us in this regaurd ! Have a great day !
ReplyDeleteWe love to shop on the internet, but hate to pay shipping. Lot's of times we can find free shipping, but often it is buried in the price of the item :( Sometimes we get a good deal though!
ReplyDeleteKisses for Chance,
Emma Rose
I love internet shopping when it is around Christmas holidays because I can't cope with the crazy crowds. Wal-Mart is bad to carry a product and then discontinue it once we get used to it. Given a choice of online shopping and stores, I really do like seeing the product with my eyes before purchase. But on the flip side, online shopping does save my energy as well as gas.
ReplyDeleteI hate shopping with crowds so the Internet is a good option. Would love to be able to go into town in a horse and buggy...
ReplyDeleteThe header is beautiful, stunning.
ReplyDeleteWe have discussed the issue of gas prices and some food items and we are so glad to be in this little town. We can ride our bikes if there is no snow and we can walk if there is snow. We are eight very short blocks to the main part of town which is two little blocks long. Like you, we purchase many things online and it delivered to the door. There is one small market here and the prices are so good people don't need to drive to the next town twenty miles away to shop.
I've discovered a secret that has made me so happy over the past year! AMAZON.com has a "club" that you join for $79 - sounds expensive BUT for the next year everything, I mean everything you buy is shipped and at your house in two days - FOR FREE! AND you can split the cost of the membership because you can have up to five accounts use the free shipping... my daughter uses it, her husband uses it, my cousin uses it... I order everything from Amazon that I can't find in my tiny village on the Hudson River - 42lbs of cat litter (the best brand) is coming - no postage or shipping), Devon Clotted Cream imported from England is coming for my scones and tea with my daughter and grandbaby... I order all my cat food by the case, discount if you put it on automatic reorder... I order gluten free bisquick and special jams... This is not an advertisement but rather simply passing on info given to me over two years ago by a friend who began ordering from Amazon...
ReplyDeleteI live out in the country, But I am about 30-40 minutes from 5 Wal-Marts. I'm not real sure it's the internet that is killing the small town businesses.
ReplyDeleteBut if I could order groceries online- I would do it...I really dislike that chore.
I am finding more and more that products I use are disappearing from store shelves. I have had to buy more items online because of this. When you ask the local store what is going on all they tell you is that they need the shelf space for more popular items. Yes, online shopping is very convenient; in many cases cheaper, but I still feel I should support my local businesses.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where I would keep a horse.
ReplyDeleteCertainly haven't been traveling as much because of the gas prices. But, I will be doing a little more here in a bit.