3 ms·

I wonder how Firefly is going to work out. Sure, you can scan an item and buy it on Amazon, which is advertised as taking impulse buying to the next level, but

I wonder how Firefly is going to work out. Sure, you can scan an item and buy it on Amazon, which is advertised as taking impulse buying to the next level, but what I'm wondering is that if you're standing there, in the store, what could be more impulse buying that just buying the thing right there in the store?

timbre 12y ago
I've been assuming the use case is that you're not in a store. The world is Amazon's showroom.
- weavie 12y ago
  Or you are in the store, you see something you like, you point your phone at the item, press a button and buy it from Amazon.
blackoil 12y ago
Discounts. 20% off on the item in front of you, can trigger the impulse.
seren 12y ago
Where I live high tech retail store are closing one by one. One of the often quoted reason is that there are still plenty of people in the store, but they don't buy anything, they just try the product, and then order it online, sometimes from the store itself. So Firefly is the logical next step for this use case.
hga 12y ago
If it puts you on the normal page that includes reviews, the latter can be golden. There are more than a few things I've locally bought, or not bought, after checking Amazon reviews. Last was a washing machine this month, from our local GE dealership, which my family has had a special relationship with for decades. Amazon had some useful highly negative reviews, which prompted me to check Home Depot and Lowes, which in combination with the repairman noting the new model dropped its warranty period to 1 year as he was suggesting I buy one, prompted me to decide to replace broken parts in my current machine as long as that's feasible. Amazon reviews also convinced me not to buy a Speed Queen washer. They're making old fashioned high quality washing machines (i.e. ones that get your clothes clean, it's said they bought an old US Maytag factory), BUT their service system is broken, they pay the repairman a flat fee per visit, and if you get a rare lemon you're SOL. While this is perhaps costing Amazon money in the short term, it's one of many things they do that builds their tremendous brand loyalty, and prompts me to buy more things from and through them than I might otherwise. Heck, because I didn't buy that new washing machine I now have more money to buy other things ^_^.
Tiktaalik 12y ago
Examining items in store, then buying online is already so common that it has its own word. "Showrooming." It's a very common, mainstream practice at this point.

timbre 12y ago

I've been assuming the use case is that you're not in a store. The world is Amazon's showroom.

weavie 12y ago
Or you are in the store, you see something you like, you point your phone at the item, press a button and buy it from Amazon.

blackoil 12y ago

Discounts. 20% off on the item in front of you, can trigger the impulse.

seren 12y ago

Where I live high tech retail store are closing one by one. One of the often quoted reason is that there are still plenty of people in the store, but they don't buy anything, they just try the product, and then order it online, sometimes from the store itself. So Firefly is the logical next step for this use case.

hga 12y ago

If it puts you on the normal page that includes reviews, the latter can be golden. There are more than a few things I've locally bought, or not bought, after checking Amazon reviews. Last was a washing machine this month, from our local GE dealership, which my family has had a special relationship with for decades. Amazon had some useful highly negative reviews, which prompted me to check Home Depot and Lowes, which in combination with the repairman noting the new model dropped its warranty period to 1 year as he was suggesting I buy one, prompted me to decide to replace broken parts in my current machine as long as that's feasible. Amazon reviews also convinced me not to buy a Speed Queen washer. They're making old fashioned high quality washing machines (i.e. ones that get your clothes clean, it's said they bought an old US Maytag factory), BUT their service system is broken, they pay the repairman a flat fee per visit, and if you get a rare lemon you're SOL. While this is perhaps costing Amazon money in the short term, it's one of many things they do that builds their tremendous brand loyalty, and prompts me to buy more things from and through them than I might otherwise. Heck, because I didn't buy that new washing machine I now have more money to buy other things ^_^.

Tiktaalik 12y ago

Examining items in store, then buying online is already so common that it has its own word. "Showrooming." It's a very common, mainstream practice at this point.