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The main issue with this approach is that it fails to address my biggest grip with local online shopping: delivery speed. Amazon offers 48h delivery for most p

by belval 7y ago

The main issue with this approach is that it fails to address my biggest grip with local online shopping: delivery speed. Amazon offers 48h delivery for most products even with COVID. On the other hand, I ordered stuff from a shop based in Montreal and it took 5 days to arrive. Even though it was physically much closer to me. We can argue on the "necessity" of 2-day shipping, but it is still a massive differentiator.

igrekel 7y ago
Honestly, so far the quickest delivery I've experienced was from local businesses. Some local stores switched too what is almost pizza delivery. I ordered gear at lunchtime and got it delivered in the afternoon. But it really depends on the supplier. 48h delivery has been hit and miss too recently. Now what the article doesn't say is that a lot of the businesses on "Le Panier Bleu" do not even have an online catalog and you need to call them. In these cases, it's pretty much the yellow pages with a different color.
- filoleg 7y ago
  Out of curiosity, what kind of shop was that local store that gave you a same day delivery and had a good inventory system? Asking because I noticed that here (Seattle), a couple of specialized niche stores do that, and it works really well, but i feel like there might be some reason for why only those kinds of stores do that. The one that comes to mind is Patchwerks (analog synthesizer store; disclaimer: I have zero affiliation with that store aside from being a happy customer). Their own online inventory system is a pleasure to work with, and they stock all kinds of rare items that are accurately reflected in their online system. Ordered around noon, picked up a couple hours later, it was a true pleasure to work with. What their website displays is in stock has always been in stock. Not even once the state of the inventory on their website didn’t match the reality. And yet, not any other more general store I’ve seen could even match it, whether it is a local or a larger scale store. For example, Guitar Center’s online inventory system is a straight up joke. What the website says is in stock at my local store is not in stock 99% of the time. And it cuts the other way around too. Which renders the whole website useless, as i have to call to find out what they actually have, so they can spend 10 mins of my life on hold while they are searching for an item. Then rinse and repeat if I want to check on another item or if i want to check another Guitar Center that is a bit further away in a nearby town.
  - igrekel 7y ago
    It was a cooking gear store. They do not have much on the web but the person answering the phone knows the stock amazingly well. I suspect she may have a good inventory system under her eyes. I've been shopping for plants recently and there is a world of difference between two different nurseries.
icelancer 7y ago
>> We can argue on the "necessity" of 2-day shipping, but it is still a massive differentiator. I don't understand how commenters on this site constantly miss this point and argue over a few dollars in savings. If you live in Seattle, you get same-day shipping for free w/ Prime on a lot of items, one-day shipping for most, and two-day shipping on everything else. Small businesses don't even ship products out 6 days a week with a 1 day handling time, much less provide reasonable rates. Speed is king.

by belval 7y ago

igrekel 7y ago

Honestly, so far the quickest delivery I've experienced was from local businesses. Some local stores switched too what is almost pizza delivery. I ordered gear at lunchtime and got it delivered in the afternoon. But it really depends on the supplier. 48h delivery has been hit and miss too recently. Now what the article doesn't say is that a lot of the businesses on "Le Panier Bleu" do not even have an online catalog and you need to call them. In these cases, it's pretty much the yellow pages with a different color.

filoleg 7y ago
Out of curiosity, what kind of shop was that local store that gave you a same day delivery and had a good inventory system? Asking because I noticed that here (Seattle), a couple of specialized niche stores do that, and it works really well, but i feel like there might be some reason for why only those kinds of stores do that. The one that comes to mind is Patchwerks (analog synthesizer store; disclaimer: I have zero affiliation with that store aside from being a happy customer). Their own online inventory system is a pleasure to work with, and they stock all kinds of rare items that are accurately reflected in their online system. Ordered around noon, picked up a couple hours later, it was a true pleasure to work with. What their website displays is in stock has always been in stock. Not even once the state of the inventory on their website didn’t match the reality. And yet, not any other more general store I’ve seen could even match it, whether it is a local or a larger scale store. For example, Guitar Center’s online inventory system is a straight up joke. What the website says is in stock at my local store is not in stock 99% of the time. And it cuts the other way around too. Which renders the whole website useless, as i have to call to find out what they actually have, so they can spend 10 mins of my life on hold while they are searching for an item. Then rinse and repeat if I want to check on another item or if i want to check another Guitar Center that is a bit further away in a nearby town.
- igrekel 7y ago
  It was a cooking gear store. They do not have much on the web but the person answering the phone knows the stock amazingly well. I suspect she may have a good inventory system under her eyes. I've been shopping for plants recently and there is a world of difference between two different nurseries.

icelancer 7y ago

>> We can argue on the "necessity" of 2-day shipping, but it is still a massive differentiator. I don't understand how commenters on this site constantly miss this point and argue over a few dollars in savings. If you live in Seattle, you get same-day shipping for free w/ Prime on a lot of items, one-day shipping for most, and two-day shipping on everything else. Small businesses don't even ship products out 6 days a week with a 1 day handling time, much less provide reasonable rates. Speed is king.