This is the kind of stuff that makes my blood boil.
The stationery industry has faced it for years—brides come in to touch, feel, and get professional advice while searching for wedding invitations, then take that valuable knowledge online, or worse, home as a DIY project.
The assumption that stores provide floor samples and professional advice for free is absurd; they pay for those samples, floor displays, and employee training, all for the purpose of making a sale. Using those resources with no intent of purchasing from the providing retailer is just this side of shoplifting. Yes, my language is strong on this point, but as a past retailer who watched the practice first hand, I know what it costs in very real financial terms.
A lot.
This past weekend, USA Today pushed the “use-em-and-leave-em” concept to the extreme, actually instructing consumers to peruse computers in local stores, then go online to make the purchase, complete with a list of online discounters happy to make the sale (on a brick and mortar’s back).
States are gasping for air as their sales tax revenues drop. Commercial property tax roles shrink as brick and mortars go dark. And our quality of life, directly connected to emergency services, sidewalks, streets, state agencies, school programs, park systems, etc. suffer.
I understand the high cost of outfitting kids for school. No question. But telling consumers it’s okay to “use” a local store’s resources with zero intent of making a purchase is just plain wrong.
Here’s the article—I hope retailers reading this will head on over there and add their two cents to the comments. Your voices need to be heard.
Click here to tell me what you think....
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As a retailer with a brick and mortar store, I am appalled that you would promote such an article. This has been an extremely tough economic time where customer service and detailing is so important. Yet, you have the nerve to suggest that people actually come in use us and then go online!!! Shame!
Umm…Patti…I assume your comment was intended for USA Today, not me (since I’m the one who’s equally appalled by their actions). Please click the link at the bottom of my blog post that points to the USA Today website, then add your comment there. That’s where it needs to be posted. Thanks!
I owned a home furnishings/gift/contemporary craft gallery for five years. I read one day that a meet-the-author event was being held at the local Barnes and Noble to talk about a book (don’t remember the title) that explained how to circumvent buying furniture from retailers, and it even went so far as to say things like retailers don’t “deserve” to make a profit. I was so angry that I called the woman at B&N who was listed as the person organizing the event. I probably should have cooled off before I made the call, but I told her that if she went ahead with that event, I and every other retailer I could get to come with me would be at that event, and we would pepper the author with questions and comments so that the event would be a big failure. She told me I was very rude, but she said she didn’t want a scene, so she cancelled the event. Why is this attitude that retailers are not allowed to make profits and are doing something underhanded so prevalent? The other poster who asked how local schools and charities are going to get online retailers to donate to their events is a wonderful point.
Making wedding invitations at “home as a DIY project” can be a GOOD thing provided supplies are purchased from a LOCAL merchant.
Editor’s note: Provided, of course, the bride didn’t pick a retailer’s brain for ideas then purchase elsewhere…or worse, copy the retailer’s design. I actually had someone come in to show me her invites after the fact—knockoffs of one I’d designed and shown her when she came in to (supposedly) order invitations. Her comment? “Isn’t this great? It looks exactly like yours!” Hmm…”great” wasn’t the word that came to mind….”
Thank you Cinda for informing the 3/50 Project members of this article. I immediately sent my negative opinion to the USA Today website. I was happy to see many negative posts concerning the article. Keep up the good fight.
Editor’s note: My honor to do so, Charlie. You guys works hard out there in brick and mortar land, of which I am immensely proud.
Cinda,
Thanks for bringing this article to light. Just for your readers info, here is what I wrote to them…
Please, people, do not follow the misguided advice in this article.
If you get good service from your local brick and mortar store, reward him or her with the sale. That person is your neighbor paying local taxes, employing local people and keeping your local economy moving. Without that brick and mortar store your local government does not have enough taxes to keep police and firefighters on your street. Without that brick & mortar store your state does not have enough revenue to fund the educational system and keep teachers in your schools. Without that brick and mortar store, you can expect that college tuition is going to go up far higher than what you saved on that laptop. Without that brick and mortar store your friends’ kids will not have a Little League team to join. Without that brick and mortar store your neighbor, friend or family member does not have a job.
Local brick and mortar stores pay more in taxes, hire more people per sale, pay them higher wages, and give more to charity than even the big box retailers. The online retailers do not give a single penny to your local market. Not one!
I hope this writer is getting the message loud and clear. It is this way of thinking that has eroded the job culture in America. It is this way of thinking that has made it difficult for these college kids to find jobs after school. So you saved a few bucks on your laptop? Is it enough to pay back those student loans? Bad, bad advice
Support your local brick and mortar stores. It is the smartest investment you will ever make with your money.
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. I have read and expressed my disgust to USA Today!
“The stationery industry has faced it for years—brides come in to touch, feel, and get professional advice while searching for wedding invitations, then take that valuable knowledge online…”
So true Cinda, that’s is just what finally drove my Brother-in-law out of his family owned second generation music store.
If it is not stopped it can and will backfire on the vendor. We had the problem with Weber grills. People coming in asking questions looking taking up a LOT of our time with no intentions of buying from us. Even had us order one to look at the color. Weber allowed anyone and everyone to undercut us on the web. Weber did not protect us from this, so, we no longer carry Weber.
Unfortunately this consumer practice is happening in many industries. I own and operate an independent shoe and clothing store. I have had customers come in to be measured and/or fitted in a shoe so that they can order online. Plus I have had them buy online, come back with the shoes to my store, and ask me to check to see if they fit properly.
[Submitted comment removed by blog Admin]
Editor’s note: The pseudonym on this comment, paired with a fake email address, was used to mask the identity of a writer posting pointedly negative remarks aimed at small business owners. As has always been my policy (noted on the About page), I do not publish anonymous negative comments.
That’s not to say I won’t post differing opinions (assuming, of course, they don’t cross lines into personal attacks)—just that if I’m willing to stand out here in the light when voicing my not-always-popular opinion, the same is expected of others. The Always Upward blog is not a venue to throw stones unless you’re willing to be seen doing so.
I own a brick and mortar store and this really makes my blood boil! I have many tourist who come in and play 50 questions regarding a line or item in my store, even using one of my business cards so they can jot down notes and they even say, out loud, I’ll find it online when I get home. How do you compete with that? They don’t care that they are supporting a local community when they shop in our local stores. My sales enable me to donate to my community, do online shopping stores do that? What are we becoming, a 2 class society who never leaves their homes, assuming they are still lucky enough to have one?
So totally agree with you. I hear this kind of thing from many of our business members, unfortunately.
Thank you for this piece. As a tiny wine shop we offer many things online doesn’t (tastings and advice, of course). One of the things I do that I believe keeps us going is that I support many, many non-profits in the community and we do so vocally; not for praise, but as a reminder that WE do that, at our expense, because we value the community that values us. I’m guessing it’s harder to get the big guys to donate for the kid’s school auction. We do what we can…. keep up the fight; we appreciate it!
While I support buying from local brick-and-mortar stores as much as I can, and I agree that actively encouraging this type of bait-and-switch practices is somehow repulsive, let’s be practical here.
Things are expensive. It’s a recession. Consumers have less money to spend. They’ll go where they can get the most for their dollar. Now, for some, that means getting the cheapest possible deal via online. For some, that may mean saving up a little extra just to buy from brick-and-mortar. It really depends on the individual and their purchasing power and morals.
Hi Cinda
Hooray for bringing this up. While the internet is here to stay, our communities need brick and mortar store now more than ever. The smart thing for USAWeekend to do is to retract the author’s questionable suggestions.
Cheers
Cinda,
Thanks for sharing this article. I loved reading the comments and cheering on fellow retailers with a “right on!” I can’t count the number of times a shopper in my store will ask for my advice on choosing an item and then say “I wonder if I can find this on Amazon.” Grr. Buy it where you try it.
Lesley Tweedie, Founder
I’ve been guilty of looking for an item online for that better price. I know realize that the few dollars I may save takes away from the community I live in. My shopping will from this point forward will be more conscious and local.
I work in the Wedding Industry and have seen things change over the years. Part of the problem is some local retailers here in NYC over charge for things you can get elsewhere for less. I am not sure how it is in other towns across the USA.
I personally will only refer Brides to local places I know of that will not take advantage of the consumer. My opinion may not be a popular one or the right one, but some of the local places here in NYC need to change their tune or they will be out of business. I see it daily, saw it at the NY International Stationary Show. More and More consumers will be shopping online and more will be getting involved in DIY projects if some of these Retailers think they have the right to charge so much for a design that you see all over.
I am not saying I agree with the article, but it does not surprise me. I have a loyal customer base and it’s growing because I ask consumers what they are looking for or how I can work with their budget. Many places locally just do not do that and I am happy to take their business and refer Brides to places that will work with them. People need to adapt to the times.
Editor’s note: As a point of clarification, the National Stationery Show (not “International”) is a wholesale trade show only. It does not cater to nor allow attendance by consumers looking to purchase goods. Any pricing you found offensive was set by the vendor with no retailer input.
As a personal note to Marcus: I received your other post asking why I wasn’t approving your comment. Simply put, I was speaking about The 3/50 Project in Bel Air, Maryland last evening, thus offline from noon yesterday until this morning. Nothing underhanded or intentional—your comment was posted along with all others submitted in that time frame.
The same principle apply when you buy a foreign made car instead of a domestic one! We all have to ALL start buying American & local brick and mortar. American companies need to stop taking jobs overseas as well!
Editor’s note: As a point of clarification, the USA Today article and topic of my post was about “point of purchase,” not the manufacturing source. The term “brick and mortar” applies to a physical commercial location where a consumer purchases a product.
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