Do you support your local shops?

[matthewb0051]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I so miss the locally owned hardware store with the family member behind the counter that knows his inventory, and can find what I need. Those stores are just gone from the big box stores competition and internet. I honestly don't see a solution but to pile on and buy what I need from the internet. Amazon sure makes it easy.

One of the few things I miss about living in Northern Virginia after moving in 2020. We had a mom-pop hardware in our neighborhood just 3 minutes down the street. Village Hardware in Fort Hunt VA, just a couple of miles up from Mt Vernon. It is the kind of place that puts stuff out on the sidewalk everyday because the store is crammed full of inventory.

They had everything from seed, to oil, to those bins of nails where you buy by weight! Then the basement had the absolute best BBQ section that also included a large number of rubs and sauces. One of the best I've ever seen.

I would go there rather than to HD that was only 5 minutes the other direction. The cost difference was pennies. They knew their stuff too.

So old school they don't even have a web site...

Google tells me that the original owner from 1979 just sold last year.
https://alexandrialivingmagazine.com/business/village-hardware-changes-hands/

[john70t]

There was a candy/soda/sandwich place in town, closed 1993, that was just about unchanged from the 1930s.
I got to fill in for my roommate shortly before it closed.
Drake's Sandwich Shop still stirs the memories of its fans
https://aadl.org/N101_0464_002

[astrochex]

Originally Posted by GH85Carrera

I so miss the locally owned hardware store with the family member behind the counter that knows his inventory, and can find what I need. Those stores are just gone from the big box stores competition and internet. I honestly don't see a solution but to pile on and buy what I need from the internet. Amazon sure makes it easy.

Me too. In SoCal, there is a great one in downtown Yorba Linda. Older couple with their dog roaming the aisles or snoozing behind the counter.

A local Ace Hardware is my first choice over Lowes or Home Depot.

[ramonesfreak]

My Amazon orders today totaled 9. From gun oil to a bag of durabond

That’s 15 in 24 hours

If I was to drive around looking for all these things it would have taken me 3 weeks and I probably would have found less than half of them

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by masraum

Interesting. 99% of my Amazon purchases come via UPS.

Interesting. 100% of mine come from an Amazon electric delivery van. UPS or FedEx or USPS haven’t delivered me an Amazon order in years

[Jeff Alton]

Interesting thread and reading. As an owner of a business it is a good read to see peoples thoughts.

[javadog]

Originally Posted by ramonesfreak

My Amazon orders today totaled 9. From gun oil to a bag of durabond

That’s 15 in 24 hours

If I was to drive around looking for all these things it would have taken me 3 weeks and I probably would have found less than half of them

There’s a part of me that says it’s wasteful of resources to have all of the people and work necessary to funnel 15 separate orders to one person in a 24 hour period.

I understand that you might expand a lot of energy and time to go round up all that stuff yourself, but I tend to structure my trips outside the house to accomplish several tasks at once, so I’m not coming and going constantly. Ordinarily, I’ll wait till I have at least four or five things to do before I make a trip.

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by javadog

There’s a part of me that says it’s wasteful of resources to have all of the people and work necessary to funnel 15 separate orders to one person in a 24 hour period.

I understand that you might expand a lot of energy and time to go round up all that stuff yourself, but I tend to structure my trips outside the house to accomplish several tasks at once, so I’m not coming and going constantly. Ordinarily, I’ll wait till I have at least four or five things to do before I make a trip.

That’s not how Amazon works. My packages are delivered at once by one person. Amazon workers are paid to fulfill orders and much of it is automated. Maybe i don’t understand what you mean

I have a job. I don’t have time anymore to run around, especially since I work from home.

My only trips outside the house to an actual store are to flip through the bins at the record store for the most part

[ramonesfreak]

And don’t forget, I’m not in Texas. It’s no fun running these errand in 10 degrees with wet feet and hitting pot holes that destroy my suspension and wheels when I can get it all shipped with no shipping fees

In summer, I will use an errand as an excuse to drive the Porsche or my DD because I like to drive

[sc_rufctr]

There are benefits to online shopping but at times it's hard to see them - How many people barely get of the couch in their off time now?
I really like going to the store to buy my groceries.

I re-watched Jackie Brown (1997) recently. The Malls were full of people and you get to see a busy record/CD store that sold cassettes!
We got on fine before buying online and it's certainly been a boon for Chinese manufacturers.