How Amazon's App Will Hurt Retailers This Christmas
I don't know what it is about the WRT-54G and I that makes us not get along. I truly like Linksys' flood the market" router and find it to be a great device when it works. I usually burn through one every 6-8 months and have come to accept that as a cost of doing business with the internet. Recently, I lost another one and decided that I would move up the scale to the WRT-610n, a dual-radio N-class monster with all kinds of bells and whistles. In the back of my mind I was concerned, but I figured even if this much pricier monster failed, I would just go back to regularly buying WRT-54G's again.
I priced out the 610n on Amazon and found that it was $144.99. I was ready to pull the trigger on it, but I really wanted to get it in person so on Thursday night, my wife and I headed down to Best Buy. I was expecting to pay a few bucks more, but I was totally not prepared for how much more Best Buy was charging.
No, I'm not kidding. On Thursday, they were charging $199.99.
Out came my iPhone. "Who are you calling?" Beth asked me.
"I'm not calling anyone, I'm buying the router," I said as I popped open the Amazon app on my iPhone and looked at the shopping cart where I had already saved the router and a cable splitter. She started laughing hysterically as the reality hit that I was about to order something online from the store I was looking at it in.
A few clicks later, and we were walking out the door secure in the knowledge that we hadn't been ripped off by Best Buy to the extent we easily could have. This little incident got me thinking, though. How many people, like me, are going to go into stores this holiday season, iPhone in hand, and just buy the item on Amazon after looking at it in the store? It's not that foreign a concept for me; in February we bought a 40" Samsung LCD TV on Amazon after checking it out in Best Buy and saved over $400 in doing so.
Amazon's mobile play may very well have proven that the "take 'em for every penny" model of retail as we know it is unsustainable and the more easy and accessible Amazon makes it, the more nails they're putting in the coffins of companies like Best Buy who thrive on being the only game in town.
Vincent Ferrari is an Apple fan, videoblogger, blogger, writer, and all-around geek from the Bronx. He works in the IT Department of a cellular phone company that shall not be named, and lives in a very comfortable apartment with his lovely wife, two lovely cats, three Macs, two iPhones, and God-knows-how-many iPods of varying age.
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
I recently had a similar incident with Best Buy and I found out something interesting. I was purchasing a Canon G9 camera. I went to Circuit City first, because they were closer. Of course they didn't have it in stock, but I saw what they charged. I drove across town to Best Buy and found the G9. They were marked up $50 over Circuit City.
I said I wanted to buy it, but asked if they would price match what Circuit City was offering. They said they would, if I could tell them what price CC was quoting.
I then followed the sales associate to a cash terminal and watched as he pulled up a listing of all their competitors who offer the G9. He found Circuit City in the list, saw I had the right price, and gave it to me at that price.
So, if you have your iPhone with you, it should be sufficient to show them the price of wherever you found it cheaper, and then take it home from the store for that price. The best of both worlds, except you have to deal with BB.
This really has nothing to do with an Amazon iPhone app -- or Amazon or the iPhone at all. I've been in Barnes & Noble and used my Motorola Q9m to check book prices on Amazon's mobile site.
I've also been in other retail stores and checked prices using Froogle. I bought a 42" LCD at Target when Froogle didn't show any better prices (plus I got 10% off by opening a Target credit card).
So you don't need an iPhone to save money. It's an Internet thing, not an iPhone thing.
This really has nothing to do with an Amazon iPhone app -- or Amazon or the iPhone at all. I've been in Barnes & Noble and used my Motorola Q9m to check book prices on Amazon's mobile site.
Actually it has everything to do with the iPhone and Amazon's app because that's what I used and that's what the story is about.
Secondly, just because I said the iPhone does something doesn't mean no other phone does it, even though in this case the Amazon app for the iPhone is the best mobile experience for Amazon that exists with the only exception being Amazon's iPhone optimized site.
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
I use the Amazon app more to check reviews rather than to compare price. We all know online is cheaper almost all the time, but still shop offline for various reasons. So by the time I'm in brick and mortar store, price difference (+ tax) is expected and unless the difference is drastic, I'd still purchase from local stores. But, being able to check Amazon reviews anywhere is pretty useful, and Amazon did excellent work on their iPhone app. The iPhone app is designed cleverly so it loads fast and offers quick and easy way to reach needed information. I used to use isbnspy.com on my WM phones, and it's great service too. But, Amazon app provides better user experience for sure.
We all know online is cheaper almost all the time, but still shop offline for various reasons. So by the time I'm in brick and mortar store, price difference (+ tax) is expected and unless the difference is drastic, I'd still purchase from local stores.
I was prepared to pay up to $170 just to have it that night, but the difference in price was so utterly ridiculous that I couldn't justify buying it locally for any reason. Either way, I think I'm going to be doing that for the rest of the holiday season now. Screw these price-gouging bastards.
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Current Apple Stuff: 24" iMac, iPhone 4, AppleTV (original), 4gb Shuffle, 64gb iPad 2.
I was prepared to pay up to $170 just to have it that night, but the difference in price was so utterly ridiculous that I couldn't justify buying it locally for any reason. Either way, I think I'm going to be doing that for the rest of the holiday season now. Screw these price-gouging bastards.
Yeah, for that much difference, I agree you made a wise decision. Even with next day delivery, Amazon route turns out much cheaper.
How Amazon's App Will Hurt Retailers This Christmas
Should fit in nicely with the eBay, Craigslist and Paypal apps
It's an Internet thing, not an iPhone thing.
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