This is why brick and mortar is dying!!!

I'm shocked....freakin SHOCKED!!!!
 
I went out this week looking for the brand new release of Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 1 on BluRay.
 
1st...Costco.  Figured they'd have a good price.
 
They didn't even order it to stock in their stores.
 
So...next stop Fry's.  
 
They "didn't get their new release shipment this week."   (by Friday?  You havn't received Tuesday's new releases by Friday?   Why isn't your manager chewing someone's ass on the phone???)
 
Next stop WalMart.   This is a last resort, because I hate WalMart...but you can't beat their prices.
 
The first two people I talked to....HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF THE SHOW!!!!  CAN YOU FREAKING BELIEVE THAT????  So they went to look in their computer...and the old DVD's were the only thing that was even in the system.   That's right, WalMart has not even bothered to CARRY the new STAR TREK release!   I'm not looking for some little out of the way, hole in the wall "cult" show....THIS IS FREAKIN STAR TREK!!!  One of the most popular TV shows of the last 30 FREAKIN YEARS!!!!
 
So I go to Fred Meyer....again, they didn't even order it.   That's right....they DIDN'T EVEN ORDER IT!!!
 
So I called Best Buy, and was informed that they sold out of their entire stock within an hour of getting it in.   (I'm not surprised...since no one else could even be bothered to STOCK IT!!!)
 
I really try to support brick and mortar, because I don't want to see it disappear...but if brick and mortar *does* go the way of the dinosaur???  It won't be because of online competition...it will be because of LAZINESS...pure and simple.  

All the episodes are on Netflix.  I have the older DVD sets and they are cool, but I basically get *all* my entertainment online now - and saving many dollars too.  I'm even contemplating selling my dvd collection because it collects dust.  My vinyl is the only thing I cherish enough to keep at this point.

All of those stores you just listed also have websites. Not sure what you're raging against.
 
 
Oh, and all of those sites also have features where you can check the stock of stores in your area. You obviously spend a lot of time at your computer, so just spend 3 minutes and search the websites before having to run around different stores.

And here I thought you were talking about building houses with the use of brick and mortar going out of style...

Don't support brick and mortar. Why should you, it's not your duty. You won't get the best price, or even the best service. Times have changed. Money is tight. I have a family to take care of, a job to fight to keep, and I have to drive all over town, waste my gas and time, only to have dumb salespeople be rude to me and tell me they don't have it? I don't think so. No company - and I mean NO COMPANY - cares about *you* as an individual. They care about making money. Well guess what? I care about saving money, and time. I stopped buying as much as I could at brick and mortar stores a long time ago, and I could'nt be happier. We save a ton of money, we don't waste gas or time, we don't fight traffic, and all the other BS of having to buy a CD or DVD somewhere. Screw that. Order it on Amazon. I'll bet it's cheaper. Become a Prime member and it will be at your doorstep in 2 days!
You can't beat that with a stick!
 
Jimmy

Not to mention that brick and mortar stores are only carrying super huge wide release stuff on Bluray now, because the format isn't picking up sales.  DVDs still outsell Bluray by a HUGE margin.  (aside: they tried to kill off DVDs because of piracy but people just won't let them go and they are STILL selling tons of units)
 
anyway, order it on amazon dude!

Amazon. I order on Monday, I'm watching it on Tuesday.

Enjoy ordering online until they hit us with mandatory sales tax which is coming soon "to a theater near you." 
 
http://www.forbes.com/sites/robertwood/2012/07/26/sweeping-online-sales-tax-fast-approaching/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=statusnet

Last time I went into FYE:
Customer: Do you have the new Justin Beiber album?
Employee: Um... I don't know... let me check the system...
Meanwhile, they were fully stocked on the new release shelf, the top seller shelf, and were even hanging up right next to the register.
I honestly feel like I could sell more music there than the "specially trained" store managers. Part of me wants to work there part time and try to save them from their demise. It's the last one in the area, and the used and clearance sections are usually priced really well (spent $7 on 8 CDs last time).
It's pretty sad, though not surprising, that the big corporate stores know nothing about the things they sell, while independent stores can say something about almost everything in stock.
 
For the most part, with new purchases, I use Amazon Prime.  It's just cheaper and easier.  That new sales tax sucks, but I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet.
 

I'm not. 
 
While this isn't so much as raising taxes as getting people to pay what they already should (use tax), people will *think* it's a huge tax increase.  And huge tax increases don't bode well for incumbents.

Amazon is moving its resources to have basically on-demand shipping in every state.  They've given up their (IMO illegal) practice of avoiding sales tax, and are going to start having multiple shipping houses near every big-to-mid sized city.  They'll have to collect sales tax, yes, but you'll get your stuff THAT day in many cases.  That's the plan anyway.  
 
I believe they're also going to limit their use of UPS/FedEx/DHL to do deliveries, and they'll charge the same for shipping but do the actual shipping (and therefore collect the margin) themselves.  It's massively complicated, but definitely seems like a good move.
 
So what I'm saying is: say goodbye to your brick and mortar stores, especially for music/DVDs/etc.  
 
I think WalMart is going to stick around though, because the demographic for walmart doesn't overlap much with that of Amazon customers.

Here's a question:
 
If a state already doesn't impose a sales tax (like where I live in Oregon), will we still have to pay that tax if this is enacted on a national scale?  It doesn't say so in the article, and I don't have three hours free right now to watch the legislative video.

If they're gonna have shipping houses near every big city, why not open a store within the shipping house?  Walk in, order what you want on the in-store computer, and have it walked out to you.  If they're gonna have to pay sales tax anyway, this could be a really good idea (would save normal customers from shipping charges).

The sales tax isin't a big deal, certainly not a deal breaker. I would gladly pay the 8.25% Tx tax so that I don't have to drive all over town, explain to comatose salespeople what I'm looking for, have road-raged people try to kill me on the highways, and end up with higher blood pressure - all because brick and mortar stores don't care about customers. Screw that. I'm in this game for myself only. I shop for the lowest price, and the most convenient form of getting it. I'm in it to save money, not save their stupid employees. Bring on the tax, bring on the local Amazon stores. I think it's what we need - a huge game changer. Someone needs to show these major corporations that it's the customer that writes their checks. And I'm making mine out to Amazon.

spocks_brow


If they're gonna have shipping houses near every big city, why not open a store within the shipping house?  Walk in, order what you want on the in-store computer, and have it walked out to you.  If they're gonna have to pay sales tax anyway, this could be a really good idea (would save normal customers from shipping charges).

What would be better is you order it on-line and then drive up to a window and hand them your printed reciept. They then gather and give you your items and you drive off. Sweet! Kinda like McDonald's, but for everything.

^^^ How f-ing cool would that be.

Stadler: "Uh, I'll have a number two, Blu-ray, a number four, PS3, and a Dark Side of the Moon, super deluxe."
Peanuts teacher voice: "That'll be $145.26.  Please drive to the second window."

Not sure if they're going to do storefront - but I kind of doubt it.  That would basically kill any possible margin they'd make, because they would have to hire employees, and humans are EXPENSIVE and cause problems :) 
 
I was in a Sears today (I know, I couldnt' believe it either), and I was thinking about the e-storefront effect (I think that's the term) where people browse brick and mortar stores and then just buy the thing they're looking at online, an have it shipped in a day or whatever.  I'm willing to bet that if they do anything at all, Amazon will buy up some brick-and-mortar (like.. say.. oh, Sears!) and those stores will become the play-with-it-and-look shops, but you actually buy your item from Amazon and it ships next day or same day or whatever.   
 
Not too different from what you guys are saying but it will be important that it be an existing store that's already up and going and is starting to decline.  If they can get a big enough retailer who's got a halfway decent p/l sheet, and buy it for a good price, they'll be able to get up and going a lot quicker than doing it from scratch.  But who knows, just IMO

That would add a ton of overhead, sarcophage.

Jimmyneutron


The sales tax isin't a big deal, certainly not a deal breaker. I would gladly pay the 8.25% Tx tax so that I don't have to drive all over town, explain to comatose salespeople what I'm looking for, have road-raged people try to kill me on the highways, and end up with higher blood pressure - all because brick and mortar stores don't care about customers. Screw that. I'm in this game for myself only. I shop for the lowest price, and the most convenient form of getting it. I'm in it to save money, not save their stupid employees. Bring on the tax, bring on the local Amazon stores. I think it's what we need - a huge game changer. Someone needs to show these major corporations that it's the customer that writes their checks. And I'm making mine out to Amazon.

 
Word, dude. Word!!

I love how we get these terms "brick and mortar". I do think its a shame that retail is dying as that means less jobs in  total. Technology is a double edged sword as in its great for convenience, but as we get more efficient, we cost ourselves by making jobs obsolete. and there really is no new job markets to take their place. On to the actual topic, if piracy wasnt so rampant people would still buy physical copies and then it would be worthwhile to stores to stock them and be informed on said product, but at this point there is no benefit to either.

Mick Fleetwood dressed in a alien fish suit in Blu Ray quality! 

Riceloft


That would add a ton of overhead, sarcophage.

I know, boss - I don't think they're going to do that, but it was the only conceivable way I could think they'd be able to pull it off

Especially regarding albums released in digipaks, I like to be able to go to a store and inspect the different copies of a CD and choose the one in the best condition.  You can't do this via mail order, and those bubble envelopes do little to protect the sharp cardboard corners of a digipak case. 

The reason that brick and mortar is dead is because they don't want inventory sitting at the store for even a week anymore. 
And this isn't just music.
 
Ideally, companies don't want to buy anything until they have already sold it to you.
 
Makes perfect business sense but it sucks if you are a consumer who isn't with the program.
 
I came SO close to clicking the amazon button to preorder another copy of Clockwork Angels (I aleady had the fanpack so I didn't really care when I got it) six weeks ago, but just before I hit it I decided I should drive an hour to get to one of the last remaining independent record stores in the state of New Jersey to pick up the CD and the LP (which was the same price as amazon).
 
The easy thing is always to sit at the computer and click a mouse and sometimes it even makes sense to do that but other times the result of that creates a situation that makes a brick and mortar store pretty much useless since there is no longer any kind of investment in it.
 
 

But you're right. For the most part brick and mortar stores are already useless. It might be a romantic thought that employees jobs can be saved and local businesses that have been in business for 20 years can keep operating and there is no experience better then actually seeing the product before you buy it. But the fact is that most employees today are dumb and they don't care about you as a person, much less a customer, or the fact that business won't stock merchandise anymore unless it's what the current kids today want - a'la crap music, beats, and other garbage. On that same note you drove an hour both ways and wasted not just time but gas. You paid more for that CD than had you ordered it online. If the test was about saving money and stretching your dollars, well you just flunked. It's like I said, it's a whole new game today. If the companies that i buy things from forget that I am the one that keeps them in business, then I have no problem about them laying off their flunky salespeople or their fat managers that don't know what a record is. When I walk into a store I want to be catered to. I'm sorry but everyone should too. I am buying something there and it's not just a physical item. I'm buying a relationship with that store. And relationships are very easy to replace.
JN

I actually laugh at this notion that we should support the brick and mortar stores, encouraging them to the same things, over and over, with no improvement in skillset or quality, for ever increasing prices.  What other sector to we do that?  Saying that when B&M goes away we will lose jobs forever is a depressing statement since it implies that our workforce is either unwilling or unable to participate in continuous improvement.  That to me is a copout.

ytserush

I came SO close to clicking the amazon button to preorder another copy of Clockwork Angels (I aleady had the fanpack so I didn't really care when I got it) six weeks ago, but just before I hit it I decided I should drive an hour to get to one of the last remaining independent record stores in the state of New Jersey to pick up the CD and the LP (which was the same price as amazon).

Pretty much a miracle if you find a local record store that has stuff for anywhere near as cheap as amazon, at least in my experience.

But you're right. For the most part brick and mortar stores are already useless. It might be a romantic thought that employees jobs can be saved and local businesses that have been in business for 20 years can keep operating and there is no experience better then actually seeing the product before you buy it. But the fact is that most employees today are dumb and they don't care about you as a person, much less a customer, or the fact that business won't stock merchandise anymore unless it's what the current kids today want - a'la crap music, beats, and other garbage. On that same note you drove an hour both ways and wasted not just time but gas. You paid more for that CD than had you ordered it online. If the test was about saving money and stretching your dollars, well you just flunked. It's like I said, it's a whole new game today. If the companies that i buy things from forget that I am the one that keeps them in business, then I have no problem about them laying off their flunky salespeople or their fat managers that don't know what a record is. When I walk into a store I want to be catered to. I'm sorry but everyone should too. I am buying something there and it's not just a physical item. I'm buying a relationship with that store. And relationships are very easy to replace.
JN

You're absolutely right.  But I consider it an investment in this case because since it's an INDEPENDENT (ie not a chain, big box store or corporation) that the staff there knows what they are selling.
 
It's like you said. I'm paying a little extra for that relationship that when I go there next time hopefully they will still be around and I can browse or choose  that Riverside CD I've been jonesing for right off of the shelf and listen to it on the drive home if I want. when this particular store is gone -- it's gone there will be nothing to replace it. Sure I can mail order it and wait a few days or a week (I don't consider downloading an option for me because that isn't how I like to experience my music) but this store would have pretty much anything I can think of ON THE SHELF.
 
 
 
 

 
Pretty much a miracle if you find a local record store that has stuff for anywhere near as cheap as amazon, at least in my experience.

 
It's actually a miracle if you can find a local record store (which is why I have to drive an hour.)
 
Amazon is cheaper for preorders and releases that are less than six months old, but I usually don't find much of a difference older releases.
 
I just did this at random (Not quite six months old, but this is the first thing that popped into my head)
 
http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Make-Thunder-O-S-I/dp/B006MGC3VK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343621623&sr=8-1&keywords=OSI
 
 
http://www.vvinyl.com/store/osi-fire-make-thunder-03984150512?keyword=OSI
 
$3 cheaper on Amazon if you don't mind waiting to have it shipped to you.
 
 
I should probably try something a bit older
 
 
http://www.vvinyl.com/store/emerson-lake-and-powell-sprocket-sessions-501392977642?keyword=Emerson
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Sprocket-Sessions-Emerson-Lake-Powell/dp/B003JIOHBI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1343622096&sr=8-1&keywords=Sprocket+sessions
 
I'm not going to start going through inventory, but you get the idea.  I consider myself lucky that this store is still around for me. Those that live somewhere else may not be as fortunate.

We need more stores like that but unfortunately the big chain retail stores like Best Buy, Walmart, etc is killing them, and that is the reason I don't give a rat's glutius maximize about them going out of business. They don't care about taking our freindly and knowledgeable mom and pop stores away from us in the name of business, and I don't care about giving my business to an online company that properly displays everything I need to know about an item and sells it to me cheaper. I wish more mom and pop stores could survive, and yea, like you I would drive a bit (a little bit, anyway :) ) out of my way if it meant their survival over Walmart's demise.

JM

So, we're going to favor an independent record store that maybe has 10 employees who aren't getting benefits, who have higher expenses (which means the money isn't going to the independent, but to the landlord, the electric company, the shippers....) etc. over what the media and the left have sold to you as "Big Retail" who put over 2 million Americans to work, provide them benefits (forget about the relative "quality"; shitty benefits is still better than no benefits), and who have the leverage to drive down costs so that those of us who don't make a shit ton of money can still afford to buy the things we want and need... what am I missing?
 
Why on earth would we want Wal-Mart or Best-Buy to fail, other than some idealistic notion that actually works in the exact reverse in real life?  If the market - and not some very small subset that has drank the kool-aid on how bad corporations are, even though they employ us, pay us, help build our communities, provide us purchasing power on the global market, etc., - really thought independent speciality shops were better than the bigger retail chains, they would be thriving.  But they're not.  The good independents - like the one I go to here in Philly - will morph, as all good businesses do, and deal in those things that the big retailers can't or won't, like used CDs, used DVDs, vinyl, and memorabilia. 

I think Walmart is one of the worst things to happen in this country.
 
Then again, I technically work for an 'independent.'  At least, we only have 3 employees on the books.

I left independent stores out of this because, according to the owners of the ones around me, they're doing just fine, and that's for a reason. 
Places like Walmart and Target have a music section that is only one small part of a GIANT store.  You can only find things of mass popularity in there.  Looking for the new Spock's Beard or Pain of Salvation album would be a waste of time.
A lot of people haven't been to an independent record store before, but those that have know that it's a really cool experience.  Rows of CDs that reach from one wall to the other, completely stocked.  Walls covered in old rare vinyl for purchase.  Bins and bins of old used vinyl for cheap.  Hell, you can even find bootlegs you wouldn't find anywhere else (Porcupine Tree's Stupid Dream Demos? Yes, please!)
To me, there's no sight better than this

All this discussion made me realize I haven't been to Vintage Vinyl for a while, and today's my day off.  According to them, they just stocked the new No-Man DVD, and it's placed in their separate "progressive" section (yep, you read that right).
And who knows, maybe they put the new Zappa reissues on the shelves a day early...
 
 

I would have so much more respect for Walmart if they would treat their employess better. One of the richest companies in the world should be able to pay full time wages. Instead 3/4 of their employess are paid part time. That really bothers me.

I don't argue with your point, but to some degree that is also driven by the market.  Wal-mart - which is a commodity, that is, price-based business, can't be expected to pay top dollar.  It is incongruous to the business model, and not like a value-driven business where you can pass the costs of salary premiums on to the customer (which is what always happens).

I don't argue with your point, but to some degree that is also driven by the market.  Wal-mart - which is a commodity, that is, price-based business, can't be expected to pay top dollar.  It is incongruous to the business model, and not like a value-driven business where you can pass the costs of salary premiums on to the customer (which is what always happens).

I know. But when I recently read that the Walton famly net worth is more than the
ENTIRE bottom 30% of the country it hit home. Corporations can do what they want
but I prefer to do business with the ones that make it a priority to have a sense of
civic responsibility and morality and share their success with all who work there.

Stadler


I don't argue with your point, but to some degree that is also driven by the market.  Wal-mart - which is a commodity, that is, price-based business, can't be expected to pay top dollar.  It is incongruous to the business model, and not like a value-driven business where you can pass the costs of salary premiums on to the customer (which is what always happens).

I agree with this 100%, except I'm not so sure that it's fair to accept 'the Market' as a completely free entity as Adam Smith envisioned.  At least not anymore.  The aftermath of the of repeal Glass-Steagall at minimum calls this into question.  Now obviously WalMart isn't a bank, but a lot of the events over the past few years (basically, the repeats of the Savings and Loans in the 80s)  have led me to question whether or not we ever see the true face of the market.
 
I concede that people want lower prices - and WalMart is a gross manifestation of that principle - and I dont' think the general consumer is as informed as many on this board appear to be - but I have a hard time lately accepting that things 'are' because 'we' wanted them that way.  
 
Sorry for the soapbox -
 
/here endeth the editorial

(missed my edit window) 
 
I think the smaller record companies and even specific bands are doing exactly what they should be doing right now - finding ways to wring more perceived value (i.e. $$$) from their customers.  Bands that have built-in fanbases like Radiohead, Rush, Metallica (I think?), et al are putting together these great packages that you can buy the new album for $50 and it includes a shirt, or a signed copy, or a book, or (as I saw with Testament this morning), a crazy huge belt buckle.  This is how the artist subverts this mass-market distributorship, which is (I think - forgive me if I'm putting words in anyone's mouth), what we really care about.  I'm less concerned that a particular mom&pop stay open as much as I am concerned that some place that allows me to buy the music I want - and perhaps browse it - exists.  If someone put a gun to my head, of course I'd go give money to Vintage Vinyl or Slackers or whatever, but I'm not going to do it without some perceived value.  The record store is still just a distributor at the end of the day.
 
Perhaps the mom and pops can start trying to cultivate a bit of a cult following (a la Vintage Vinyl has tried to do for years), and create more of a hangout type place - maybe they add a bar or a place to eat, get a little more cash that way.  I'm not sure if this works on paper and gets them in the black, but it would seem to be more of a way to get that community base built up.  
 
 

As a business owner myself.  I don't see why anyone would ever need to have a ton of stores with a ton of employees.   
 
It's too late now.   But really...from the beginning, I think there should have been a cap on how many employees you can have.   Maybe 50 tops.   If there's more demand than that?  Then someone else can (and will) open up their own business.    Why on earth would you ever need to be bigger than that?   
 
Even something like Boeing.   Why?   Why can't it be several small companies working together?   Why does it have to be one humongous multi billion dollar company?   What's the purpose???   
 
My last boss owned a house in Cabo and vacationed their every year.   Why?   Why would anyone need a house in Cabo?     I'm not against going on vacation....but a house in Cabo?   Really?  
 
Greed is just something I cannot fathom.    And maybe I will never truly be "successful" (by this system's standards) for that very reason.