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I would much rather have the certainty that I get working high quality products with no hassle and solid return policies, than save a few percent extra on price

by jwatte 9y ago

I would much rather have the certainty that I get working high quality products with no hassle and solid return policies, than save a few percent extra on price. If Amazon turns into Walmart, or eBay, they have lost.

dogruck 9y ago
The way I read the article, AMZN is simply trying to bring additional vendors, from India, onto their platform. Doing so will give consumers greater choice. I don't see how that effort is related to Walmart or eBay.
- TheAdamAndChe 9y ago
  Greater vendor choice leads to a race to the bottom to see which area of the world can produce an item cheapest generally. These cost savings come largely from lower labor prices, meaning the workers get paid less. _That_ is how they compare to Walmart. Think about how much a factory worker made in the US in the 60's and 70's. They could afford a middle class life with a house, a new car every few years, and a pension. Now look at what a factory worker in China makes. They can't afford the quality of life that workers in the US had. Now these same forces are pushing those jobs to India, where their workers will make even less and have a worse quality of life. It's the negative side of globalization.
  - stale2002 9y ago
    Well, consumers will make up their own mind about which vendors they prefer.
    - dogruck 9y ago
      Yes. For example, I often see questions on Amazon checking to see if a product is made in the USA.
jjeaff 9y ago
You don't think Amazon has been on the exact same lowest price no matter what path as Walmart? If anything, Amazon is worse than Walmart brick and mortar stores since their third party sellers are not vetted. Imagine the kerfuffle that would arise if Walmart was selling counterfeit products in their store.
- shostack 9y ago
  No, I don't. They are no longer the consistently lowest price for many items where they used to be. They rely on Prime subscribers valuing the convenience of Prime over slight pricing differences elsewhere. However I absolutely believe they are taking a page from Walmart with regards to twisting the arm of their vendors and merchants to get the lowest prices possible and potentially driving down quality as a result. Lower quality/higher-margin items don't necessarily mean they will sell at a discounted price.

by jwatte 9y ago

dogruck 9y ago

The way I read the article, AMZN is simply trying to bring additional vendors, from India, onto their platform. Doing so will give consumers greater choice. I don't see how that effort is related to Walmart or eBay.

TheAdamAndChe 9y ago
Greater vendor choice leads to a race to the bottom to see which area of the world can produce an item cheapest generally. These cost savings come largely from lower labor prices, meaning the workers get paid less. _That_ is how they compare to Walmart. Think about how much a factory worker made in the US in the 60's and 70's. They could afford a middle class life with a house, a new car every few years, and a pension. Now look at what a factory worker in China makes. They can't afford the quality of life that workers in the US had. Now these same forces are pushing those jobs to India, where their workers will make even less and have a worse quality of life. It's the negative side of globalization.
- stale2002 9y ago
  Well, consumers will make up their own mind about which vendors they prefer.
  - dogruck 9y ago
    Yes. For example, I often see questions on Amazon checking to see if a product is made in the USA.

jjeaff 9y ago

You don't think Amazon has been on the exact same lowest price no matter what path as Walmart? If anything, Amazon is worse than Walmart brick and mortar stores since their third party sellers are not vetted. Imagine the kerfuffle that would arise if Walmart was selling counterfeit products in their store.

shostack 9y ago
No, I don't. They are no longer the consistently lowest price for many items where they used to be. They rely on Prime subscribers valuing the convenience of Prime over slight pricing differences elsewhere. However I absolutely believe they are taking a page from Walmart with regards to twisting the arm of their vendors and merchants to get the lowest prices possible and potentially driving down quality as a result. Lower quality/higher-margin items don't necessarily mean they will sell at a discounted price.