Retail Is Dead

[colorider]

Today I had some spare time and was thinking of this thread, so I did a little retail shopping test. I need a few simple welding supplies for hobby welding. Nothing serious, just goofing around. I already have a stick welder to play with. What I needed is a auto darkening helmet, a chipper, wire brush, and some welding rod and gloves. The rod I would like is one of the most popular ones. E6013 in 3/32 or 1/8 inch.
First stop is Harbor Freight for the helmet. They get great reviews and are priced right for me as its only for goofing around melting metal. Figured would get other supplies there too. They had the helmet I wanted and it was on sale. Sweet. The less expensive gloves came in a pack of 10 or something like that for 20 bucks. I passed. Didn't want to buy rods there as I would like a name brand for those, however they did have a good selection of the popular sizes and types, and had the ones I was looking for. Now all I need is the rods and gloves. I head to Murdochs as it's on the way back home. One pair of cheap gloves for $23 bucks and the no rods in my flavor. Shit. Home Depot is just down the street. Home depot has expensive gloves and no rods in my flavor. Actually, their welding section was horrid. They have more candy bars stocked than welding supplies. Now I'm really pissed off and figured I'd torture myself by trying Lowes. They had expensive gloves (3x the price of amazon for the exact same gloves) and they had the rods I wanted. Problem with the rods you may ask? They are half the length of the standard size and they were the same price of the standard length ones that the in fact, do not carry the standard lenght ones unless you want to buy a gigantic box of them for $100+. Came home hit the laptop and looked at Amazon. Name brand rods in the size I want at a great price. Gloves, same brand as the ones at Lowes and $9:00, instead of $26. Best part, I hit the buy button and they will be delivered today.
This is why retail is dead.

[ray1970]

Lol. Sounds like if you factor in your time and gas you probably could have just saved all of the hassle and ordered everything from Amazon and been money ahead.

[ray1970]

Before I head out to buy anything I always look online first. If I can get everything I need in a reasonable amount of time and for a reasonable price I don?t bother going anywhere or burning gas and putting miles on my vehicle.

[colorider]

Well, the gas wasn’t an issue. I had to pass Home Depot, Lowe’s , and Murdochs to get to Harbour freight. So it was just a matter of parking and trekking through the stores, only to be disappointed. What was funny is Harbor Freight has 20x more welding supplies than Home Depot and Lowe’s combined. The offerings at Lowe’s was almost as if they are discontinuing all welding related products. I actually walked the section 2x due to it being so little.

[Little Dutch]

If retail shops close, where will they get their clothes?Attachment 92877

They will have to shop in our houses.

Your house, neighbors house, and/or your tax dollars.

Those internet purchased items have to ship. It turns out those shipping containers, trucks, and trains, are easy targets for modern shoppers.

Same basic videos, but here's two links:

https://youtu.be/hhGrHlPGmng

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM2U...nel=News19WLTX

Funny, and true that Blockbuster is dead, but libraries certainly aren't. Most have done well to keep up with advancing tech including streaming movies and music, often of titles not otherwise available. Nearly all services can be accessed online. We regularly order books on CD, downloaded titles, and old fashioned paper books. A 5 minute stop at the library and the items are already on a pick up shelf with your name code on it. A quick scan at a check out kiosk and you're out the door.

I always have a book to listen to while driving. I can download one on my phone off of the library's Hoopla portal in a couple minutes and listen to it whenever I want, usually while driving. It makes long drives a pleasure rather than a tiring stress.

I'm currently listening to Tom Clancy's "Target Acquired", a Jack Ryan novel. Excellent. Also reading a new book by Robert Crais, "Racing the Light", an Elvis Cole and Joe Pike novel. Great reading!

I use the "Libby" app to checkout and listen to audio books. It's super convenient. It does text-books too, but I rarely check those out as I prefer paper over e-readers.

I just started the Eric Flint 1632 series. I recently finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and recommend it.

[hollohas]

Came home hit the laptop and looked at Amazon. Name brand rods in the size I want at a great price. Gloves, same brand as the ones at Lowes and $9:00, instead of $26. Best part, I hit the buy button and they will be delivered today.
This is why retail is dead.

Hopefully you get what you want. But Amazon sells a shit ton of counterfeit stuff now. At that big of a price difference, makes you wonder. Were they sold by Amazon or fulfilled by Amazon sold by 3rd party called something like 'Best Gift Supply LLC'?

It's surprising the stuff they counterfeit these days. I bought some pomade on Amazon not long ago and even that was counterfeit. I could tell because the color was different and the scent wasn't anything close to the real stuff. The container was spot on identical.

[hatidua]

I'm willing to support local businesses when they offer good service. Golden Fly Shop is a great example. I can order fly fishing gear and fly tying materials online for less money, but I go to the local shops because of service. Golden Fly Shop and Blue Quill Anglers in Evergreen are always extremely helpful and ready to answer any questions.

slight thread drift: The rest of the country does not grasp the quantity of quality fly shops that Colorado has. I've had friends visit from other parts of the U.S. and they are blown away at how many truly great shops are all within a relatively small area. I can visit a dozen good fly shops in a 30 mile radius and that just doesn't happen in the other parts of the country I've lived.

[colorider]

Hopefully you get what you want. But Amazon sells a shit ton of counterfeit stuff now. At that big of a price difference, makes you wonder. Were they sold by Amazon or fulfilled by Amazon sold by 3rd party called something like 'Best Gift Supply LLC'?

It's surprising the stuff they counterfeit these days. I bought some pomade on Amazon not long ago and even that was counterfeit. I could tell because the color was different and the scent wasn't anything close to the real stuff. The container was spot on identical.

They are genuine items.

[Aloha_Shooter]

I just started the Eric Flint 1632 series. I recently finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch and recommend it.

The 1632 or "Ring of Fire" series is a great one. Sadly, Flint dies last summer but his work lives on and so will the 1632 series as he had made arrangements to pass stewardship on.

I also recommend John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" series. I generally hate zombie apocalypse stuff but 1) Ringo did the research to make a fairly believable premise for the "zombie" apocalypse and 2) his series is more about survival and recovery and rebuilding civilization from the apocalypse.

[Little Dutch]

The 1632 or "Ring of Fire" series is a great one. Sadly, Flint dies last summer but his work lives on and so will the 1632 series as he had made arrangements to pass stewardship on.

I also recommend John Ringo's "Black Tide Rising" series. I generally hate zombie apocalypse stuff but 1) Ringo did the research to make a fairly believable premise for the "zombie" apocalypse and 2) his series is more about survival and recovery and rebuilding civilization from the apocalypse.

I've read minimal Ringo, but liked what I did read. Added to the reading list, thanks.