4 ms·

To each their own, but I think the whole "schlepping to the store and sifting through products and maybe you overpay or get something you don't like" is a valua

To each their own, but I think the whole "schlepping to the store and sifting through products and maybe you overpay or get something you don't like" is a valuable part of the human experience. That's not to say every trip is enjoyable, but I wonder what people might be missing by forgoing those trips (and automating everything they can, in general). You miss the trip there, and everything you might experience along the way, and the people at the store, and a poster for a cool concert that you might have gone to see, etc. To me, that's not wasted time, that is living life.

matte_black 9y ago
Look, I find nothing heart warming about the experience of shopping for things in physical stores. I liken the rise of Amazon as something analogous to the agricultural revolution. Before agriculture, everyone had to hunt and gather food, it was a laborious process similar to shopping. Once people discovered agriculture however, and similarly Amazon, it was no longer necessary to spend so much effort in getting life's basic necessities, freeing us to spend our time on more noble pursuits. This is the world I would much rather live in. I do not care for the retail days of olde.
- lazerpants 9y ago
  I think there's a big schism between cities and towns that have or used to have character and those that don't when it comes to retail. One reason NYC or SF are cool (though perhaps less so now), is that there are tons of interesting, well-curated, thoughtfully sourced shops with stuff to discover and explore. I agree with you completely if we're talking about a Target in suburban Houston, but going to a handmade card store in NYC, or a rare books store in Charleston, or weird candy store in SF can all be fun exploratory experiences. I drop into the fancy grocery store nearby to look around and find ingredients I've never heard of, despite doing 90% of my grocery shopping online with delivery, because it's a fun way to get outside my comfort zone. The easy availability of places/stores that allow me opportunities to explore and be excited about new things is perhaps the thing I value most about living in NYC.

matte_black 9y ago

Look, I find nothing heart warming about the experience of shopping for things in physical stores. I liken the rise of Amazon as something analogous to the agricultural revolution. Before agriculture, everyone had to hunt and gather food, it was a laborious process similar to shopping. Once people discovered agriculture however, and similarly Amazon, it was no longer necessary to spend so much effort in getting life's basic necessities, freeing us to spend our time on more noble pursuits. This is the world I would much rather live in. I do not care for the retail days of olde.

lazerpants 9y ago
I think there's a big schism between cities and towns that have or used to have character and those that don't when it comes to retail. One reason NYC or SF are cool (though perhaps less so now), is that there are tons of interesting, well-curated, thoughtfully sourced shops with stuff to discover and explore. I agree with you completely if we're talking about a Target in suburban Houston, but going to a handmade card store in NYC, or a rare books store in Charleston, or weird candy store in SF can all be fun exploratory experiences. I drop into the fancy grocery store nearby to look around and find ingredients I've never heard of, despite doing 90% of my grocery shopping online with delivery, because it's a fun way to get outside my comfort zone. The easy availability of places/stores that allow me opportunities to explore and be excited about new things is perhaps the thing I value most about living in NYC.