3 ms·

Are you saying you bought and had 9 pairs of shoes (3 brands, 3 sizes) and are returning 8 because you weren't able to make a choice? Do you think about the en

Are you saying you bought and had 9 pairs of shoes (3 brands, 3 sizes) and are returning 8 because you weren't able to make a choice? Do you think about the environmental impact of shipping around all your crap because you can't figure out what size or brand to pick? The real option here is to pick a shoe, and pick a size. If the size doesn't fit, return it for the larger or smaller? If shipping is next day, or two day or whatever, can you really not wait that extra time? I get that the local stores don't stock specialty items, and you may think my comment is misguided, but I look at all the thousands of people who behave similar to you, and how much waste that creates.

runnerup 4y ago
3 pairs total. Is that waste larger or smaller than brick and mortar solutions? Maybe the solution is to both tax externalities and charge properly for shipping.
- pedalpete 4y ago
  I think charging appropriately for shipping and returns would help. For non-specialty items, I'd suggest brick and mortar is better. The challenge when we think about 3 pairs in order to keep 1, is that it isn't just the shipping on the 3 pairs, or 5 pairs of shoes shipped total. The extra 2 pair take up extra space on each delivery van, each way. You reach a point where many people take this approach, and the company needs to be sending out 5 times as many vans to your neighborhood. That's just the end of line delivery as well. I don't know enough about stock and warehouse, landfill, etc, but these things do add up. We all need to be aware of the externalities and issues this cause, aside from just directly on the business profits/costs. Unfortunately, because this has become common practice, the attitude seems to be "everyone else is doing it, so..."
  - gizmo686 4y ago
    With a brick and mortor store, you have an almost empty van going to/from your house and the store (in addition to the logistics of keeping the retail store stocked). If you factor in what the consumer spends on transportation, you will find that delivery is far more efficient, even with returns. The big waste with returns comes from the fact that retailers can't trust them nearly as much. With in store shopping, no one is suspicious about about taking clothes left in a changing room and putting them back on the rack. With returns, you run into all of the issues talked about in the article.

runnerup 4y ago

3 pairs total. Is that waste larger or smaller than brick and mortar solutions? Maybe the solution is to both tax externalities and charge properly for shipping.

pedalpete 4y ago
I think charging appropriately for shipping and returns would help. For non-specialty items, I'd suggest brick and mortar is better. The challenge when we think about 3 pairs in order to keep 1, is that it isn't just the shipping on the 3 pairs, or 5 pairs of shoes shipped total. The extra 2 pair take up extra space on each delivery van, each way. You reach a point where many people take this approach, and the company needs to be sending out 5 times as many vans to your neighborhood. That's just the end of line delivery as well. I don't know enough about stock and warehouse, landfill, etc, but these things do add up. We all need to be aware of the externalities and issues this cause, aside from just directly on the business profits/costs. Unfortunately, because this has become common practice, the attitude seems to be "everyone else is doing it, so..."
- gizmo686 4y ago
  With a brick and mortor store, you have an almost empty van going to/from your house and the store (in addition to the logistics of keeping the retail store stocked). If you factor in what the consumer spends on transportation, you will find that delivery is far more efficient, even with returns. The big waste with returns comes from the fact that retailers can't trust them nearly as much. With in store shopping, no one is suspicious about about taking clothes left in a changing room and putting them back on the rack. With returns, you run into all of the issues talked about in the article.