I bought my first books from Amazon in July, 1996. You can look up all your past orders, which is remarkable.
Amazon began selling books online in mid-1995.
My error. I misread the Wikipedia article.Amazon began selling books online in mid-1995.
Wow! Saw my first order was in Dec 1999. I ordered the book "Beginning Java 2". I think we are up to Java 8 today.I bought my first books from Amazon in July, 1996. You can look up all your past orders, which is remarkable.
I'll always remember the experience I had, similar to CaptTom's, when a Home Depot opened near our old house in the DC area, and there was some debate about whether the "big box" stores like WalMart and Home Depot were forcing the Mom 'n Pop stores out of business. Needing a new mailbox, I first went to the old-time hardware store (hardwood floors, open bins of bolts and seed, and everything) and found the mailbox I wanted for $15. Then being curious out what Home Depot had to offer, I went there and found the identical mailbox. For $7. So I bought it there and felt not a twinge of guilt about anything. Why should I? What did the old-time hardware store offer me for the extra $8? Not a thing that I could think of.
Not surprisingly, a few weeks later the old-time hardware store closed.
Amazon did much the same thing to other businesses. In another thread I described buying a new carburetor on Amazon for a Honda tiller. The replacement from an authorized Honda dealer, for a genuine Honda carburetor, was close to $60 + shipping. The one from Amazon was $14.79, free shipping, and at least initially, works fine. Some guy in China has a job where he maybe didn't have one before, because of Amazon, and some guy who works (or maybe worked) for Honda lost some hours or maybe was laid off because he was out-competed.
And I got a better value for my money. This is a good thing.
Well, yes, but the closing of neighborhood hardware stores has cost us as well. Not a good thing. The low-margin and space consuming things like glass and screen replacement, hardware assortments of odd knobs and screws, lawn mower blade sharpening, small engine parts & reparis, etc. are gone. These were supported by the neighborhood hardware stores' higher prices on products also sold by the category killers.... I got a better value for my money. This is a good thing.
That is true - the specialty hardware stores like Ace will have it and you will pay dearly for it. That is their business model, low volume and high markup. If both can exist together, it works for me.Try to find a 5/16 fine thread bolt at Home Depot or Lowes. You will find out they only carry "common" size fasteners. Or try to find copper washers. Or.....etc, etc.
You might get lucky at Ace Hardware.
That is true - the specialty hardware stores like Ace will have it and you will pay dearly for it. That is their business model, low volume and high markup. If both can exist together, it works for me.
Amazon started when Walmart was king in retail. They came up selling books online and grew from there. Their user experience and personalization sets them apart.
Anti-competitive? Maybe but really their competition was lacking. Also their cloud service is market leading. Microsoft, IBM, Google, etc didn’t think about offering cloud services, that’s ridiculous they allowed an online retailer beat them at their own technology game!!
I respect how Amazon has changed the game. Next up is shipping companies, FedEx UPS USPS have not innovated for years.
Amazon started as an auction site, I believe, to go against eBay, but didn't do so well.
In business as in life, if you don't make a mistake once in a while, you're not trying hard enough.Amazon started as an auction site, I believe, to go against eBay, but didn't do so well.
In business as in life, if you don't make a mistake once in a while, you're not trying hard enough.
Both Amazon and Google have done an excellent job of starting things up. The ideas that work turn into businesses. The ones that fail get criticized by idiots who couldn't sell hot chocolate to Eskimos and couldn't organize a one-car parade. They are called "securities analysts."
Well, yes, but the closing of neighborhood hardware stores has cost us as well. Not a good thing. The low-margin and space consuming things like glass and screen replacement, hardware assortments of odd knobs and screws, lawn mower blade sharpening, small engine parts & reparis, etc. are gone. These were supported by the neighborhood hardware stores' higher prices on products also sold by the category killers.
Life goes on, of course. Remember Joni Mitchell: " ... you don't know what you've got till it's gone. They paved paradise and put up a parking lot ... "
I have a usually have hard time finding prices lower than Amazon and Walmart for items I buy regularly. I always shop around online, but I end up getting most of what we need from those two.