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What exactly do you think is unethical about it? The store either has the best price or not and it is certainly within the consumers best interest to get the be

What exactly do you think is unethical about it? The store either has the best price or not and it is certainly within the consumers best interest to get the best usage of their money. Is it the fact that "she's standing right there"? Poor behavior doesn't make it unethical. There is no obligation to buy a product just because I am standing in the store.

hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
It's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then order the item at a lower price from someone who doesn't have to cover the cost of maintaining said showroom. Either take the gamble and order online sight-unseen, or pay the higher price involved in maintaining floor space and inventory.
- lacklery 9y ago
  comparing prices has been done way before online shopping just took more time and effort. there are of course things that can not be compared though like crafted and one of a kind type things.
- Notorious_BLT 9y ago
  Stores allow people to enter and leave without purchasing anything or declaring intent to purchase. Consumers are doing nothing unethical by entering the store, investigating items they are interested in, and then comparing them to options online. Blaming consumers for comparing the options available to them is ridiculous. Yes, this is inconvenient for the people who own those stores. No, the consumer isn't doing anything unethical.
  - hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
    Yes, you are doing something unethical, and my claims carry exactly as much weight as yours. But if people continue to behave the way that you're suggesting is okay, we'll end up with very few brick and mortar options and we'll have to rely entirely on sight-unseen information in our purchasing decisions.
- moate 9y ago
  So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? Disregard the ethics of 2 different sales channels being able to compete on pricing because of different distribution set ups, but in what universe is it the consumers job to make sure "joe from around the block" has a job at this specific store? Is it impolite to bust out a phone right in front of a sales rep and say "hold on, let me check amazon", sure. But there's no moral responsibility on the customer's part to do business with anyone because "hey man, it's more expensive for me to run this business". This isn't some surprise to retail. This has been going on for over a decade. You can't compete with the internet on price for (many) things. But you can compete on immediate availability, customer experience, etc. If you're fighting a price fight with the internet, gtfo of retail.
  - hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
    So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? As I said, it's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then buy elsewhere. It's a simple concept, and I believe you're being intentionally obtuse and disingenuous in your reply.
shmerl 9y ago
It's unethical towards the shop owner. Coming into a store can be viewed as an intent to buy. And if not only you aren't buying, but you are browsing to buy in another store - it makes it worse. Some stores are made to browse, and it's less of a problem to come in and not buy, but it's still a problem to explicitly come to browse to buy elsewhere.
- ceejayoz 9y ago
  > Coming into a store can be viewed as an intent to buy. I'm very grateful this is not the slightest bit true.
  - shmerl 9y ago
    In some stores - not, but it still can be viewed that way in some situations. And that creates a problem.
aidenn0 9y ago
There is an argument to be made that unsustainable behavior is unethical; this is one possible derivation from Kant's categorical imperative, for example. Various forms of utilitarianism also tend to point towards unsustainable behavior being unethical. Using a local business as a showroom for an online business is unsustainable. If enough people do it, then the local business will cease to exist. It's perfectly legal, and I don't particularly think it should be made illegal, but that doesn't make it ethical.
- sokoloff 9y ago
  There's a contrary point of view which is, "I've transported myself right here, into your store, with money in hand, ready to buy this thing right now" You, local merchant, have a distinct advantage over all online and all other B&M retailers and all you have to do is provide a reasonably close approximation to the same value I can get by tapping a few buttons on my phone and waiting 1-2 days. The local merchant has the advantage, but many of the small, local merchants around here seem to be content to pull a Leon Lett on the 1 yard line. [0] "Sorry, our price is $XYZ [50% higher] and we don't price match." "OK, fair enough. <tap, tap, tap>" On the flip-side, Home Depot, BestBuy, and Target have generally competitive pricing to start and do price match online competitors, so they get a lot of my "need it now" business. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeqQY_T2mE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeqQY_T2mE
rb808 9y ago
Its unethical because if you use shops just as a showroom you're getting a service for free. If everyone did that the shop would close.

hfdgiutdryg 9y ago

It's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then order the item at a lower price from someone who doesn't have to cover the cost of maintaining said showroom. Either take the gamble and order online sight-unseen, or pay the higher price involved in maintaining floor space and inventory.

lacklery 9y ago
comparing prices has been done way before online shopping just took more time and effort. there are of course things that can not be compared though like crafted and one of a kind type things.
Notorious_BLT 9y ago
Stores allow people to enter and leave without purchasing anything or declaring intent to purchase. Consumers are doing nothing unethical by entering the store, investigating items they are interested in, and then comparing them to options online. Blaming consumers for comparing the options available to them is ridiculous. Yes, this is inconvenient for the people who own those stores. No, the consumer isn't doing anything unethical.
- hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
  Yes, you are doing something unethical, and my claims carry exactly as much weight as yours. But if people continue to behave the way that you're suggesting is okay, we'll end up with very few brick and mortar options and we'll have to rely entirely on sight-unseen information in our purchasing decisions.
moate 9y ago
So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? Disregard the ethics of 2 different sales channels being able to compete on pricing because of different distribution set ups, but in what universe is it the consumers job to make sure "joe from around the block" has a job at this specific store? Is it impolite to bust out a phone right in front of a sales rep and say "hold on, let me check amazon", sure. But there's no moral responsibility on the customer's part to do business with anyone because "hey man, it's more expensive for me to run this business". This isn't some surprise to retail. This has been going on for over a decade. You can't compete with the internet on price for (many) things. But you can compete on immediate availability, customer experience, etc. If you're fighting a price fight with the internet, gtfo of retail.
- hfdgiutdryg 9y ago
  So you feel it's unethical to go into a store and compare prices? As I said, it's unethical to use a store as a showroom and then buy elsewhere. It's a simple concept, and I believe you're being intentionally obtuse and disingenuous in your reply.

shmerl 9y ago

It's unethical towards the shop owner. Coming into a store can be viewed as an intent to buy. And if not only you aren't buying, but you are browsing to buy in another store - it makes it worse. Some stores are made to browse, and it's less of a problem to come in and not buy, but it's still a problem to explicitly come to browse to buy elsewhere.

ceejayoz 9y ago
> Coming into a store can be viewed as an intent to buy. I'm very grateful this is not the slightest bit true.
- shmerl 9y ago
  In some stores - not, but it still can be viewed that way in some situations. And that creates a problem.

aidenn0 9y ago

There is an argument to be made that unsustainable behavior is unethical; this is one possible derivation from Kant's categorical imperative, for example. Various forms of utilitarianism also tend to point towards unsustainable behavior being unethical. Using a local business as a showroom for an online business is unsustainable. If enough people do it, then the local business will cease to exist. It's perfectly legal, and I don't particularly think it should be made illegal, but that doesn't make it ethical.

sokoloff 9y ago
There's a contrary point of view which is, "I've transported myself right here, into your store, with money in hand, ready to buy this thing right now" You, local merchant, have a distinct advantage over all online and all other B&M retailers and all you have to do is provide a reasonably close approximation to the same value I can get by tapping a few buttons on my phone and waiting 1-2 days. The local merchant has the advantage, but many of the small, local merchants around here seem to be content to pull a Leon Lett on the 1 yard line. [0] "Sorry, our price is $XYZ [50% higher] and we don't price match." "OK, fair enough. <tap, tap, tap>" On the flip-side, Home Depot, BestBuy, and Target have generally competitive pricing to start and do price match online competitors, so they get a lot of my "need it now" business. [0] - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeqQY_T2mE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeqQY_T2mE

rb808 9y ago

Its unethical because if you use shops just as a showroom you're getting a service for free. If everyone did that the shop would close.