THE SHOPPING THREAD :-)

[dede]

Well Maddy even though you seem to be a shopoholic at least you are always looking for bargains. You should keep track of all the money you Save (Not what you spend) and at the end of the year add what you have saved and spend that on something special. lol. 

[maddy]

I like your theory Mandi  ........I don't keep tabs, because that is just too scary! 
 

[Cuilidh]

Please forgive me, but I would like to put a word in here on the subject of shopping locally vs. shopping on line as it is a subject close to my wallet (sorry, my heart).

Firstly, when I refer to our business below I am referring mainly to small retail businesses in general, similarly, the hardware example is simply being used for convenience and is not meant to reflect on any one business model in particular.

We run two small retail shops, in a very specialised field, and are feeling the pinch of more and more of our customers shopping on line.  Now, I can’t really blame them, I also shop on line at times and it can certainly be much cheaper, after all, the on-line shops don’t have the same overheads as High Street shops have and if you are shopping from an overseas site, you don’t have to pay GST in many cases either, so, on the surface, it seems a wonderful idea to shop online.  Also, the choice MAY be greater, online, we also are aware of that aspect.  I'm not knocking online shopping per se, just wanting people to realise the possible consequences.

However, there is a down side to this in that small shops, such as ours, simply cannot compete and, in five or so years, we will have no choice but to close down due to lack of support from our customer base.  You may have noticed this happening fairly recently, for example some of the larger book stores are feeling the impact of ebooks.  Similarly the advent of the big multi-national hardware stores starting to trade on the town edges over the past ten or so years enables them to keep their prices lower, thus the smaller neighbourhood hardware shops have had to back out of the market.  

An example of this could be (using the hardware shop scenario), how many times have you needed one small, specific item that you always got at the local hardware shop but, because they have closed, only the larger ‘general’ hardware supermarket is available to you and they generally only handle high turnover items – in many cases that means that that specific item you are looking for is now off the market completely or else you can only buy it in bulk.  Similarly, the knowledge base of some of their staff may not be as comprehensive as that found in staff employed in a smaller outlet.

Small businesses cannot command the same prices as the big organisations can and, if their customers are shopping elsewhere because it is cheaper, well, the outcome is obvious.  We work at a mark up of approx. 50%, so there is no room to move on pricing.  We’re stuck precisely where we are.  Some other retailers probably have higher mark ups so can make allowances for competition, but that is not always possible.  We are often asked for our “best price”- would you go to your doctor for a consultation and ask him / her for their “best price”?  Why do that to small retailers.

I could go on and on as it is a very sore subject for small traders and, even though many, like us, are developing their own online presence, we simply can’t go face to face against the ‘big guys’ and it will be a great loss to Australian retail on the whole when the small, independent retailers are forced to close.  

[Frozzie]

I do both..I prefer to shop locally when I can but sometimes the items im after just arent available locally which is where I shop online..  Some people also live more remotely and therefore shop online.  Sometimes I shp for groceries online too but its from the same shop that I buy from anyway.  I think there are alot of people out there that for pure convenience shop online ie can do so much in your lunch break right at your desk or from home with little kids who can be a nightmare in shops etc etc..I think unfortunately society in general is becoming more focused on time or lack of it and therefore find the quick and easiest way to do something but people are alot more time poor these days too...I hope you find a way to survive the 'big guys' and online shopping but its not something new either..think it all comes down to local awareness in your community and hitting it hard there to make people react. 

[maddy]

Marina, I do understand and am sorry that is the situation  

Can I just clarify that I also support local stores here.  
I buy my fruit and veg from the family run store, opposed to the supermarkets, buy many things from out the way stores (o.k....I might not let on everything I buy on this thread  , and I only haggle with the big stores...I promise  
Unfortunately my book buying from online stores, has not helped the flesh and blood bookstores demise.....but I buy so many of them, so I choose to purchase them online at 50% less in most cases.
My location does not help with "supporting local", particularly with the cooking/decorating stuff.....it is just not available to buy.

[Halex]

Hi marina,

I always shop in stores and I must admit over the last few years I have seen smaller shops close in our local shopping centre, then a new trader will move in last 2 years and close down also. High rents believe are a huge problem.

After reading your email I am going to try a local kitchen shop and see what they have on offer.

I am also a fan of buying food brands and paying a little more rather than home brands,  believe if we not keep the brands going one day there will be no choice and home brands will be even more expensive than branded products are now.

I use Aussie farmers for all our fresh veg and fruit, milk, sliced bread, butter and a few other items.

Hally

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

That is important to think about Marina.  The down turn in the economy hasn't helped smaller traders either. Unfortunately many families are struggling to make ends meet and don't have any choice but to find the lowest price possible for their necessary items. I buy local where I can and do some shopping online. 

[Cuilidh]

Sorry for my 'rant', everyone, I was just having a rough day and was letting off steam.  I didn't mean to hijack this thread, which, as I've said before, I thoroughly enjoy in a vicarious sort of way!  I DO know and understand the pros and cons of both sides of the argument, I just felt that I wanted to illustrate an aspect of the consequences of online shopping in the longer term.

I''ll stop now before I start off another long lecture!

[CreamPuff63]

Cuildh I can understand how you must be feeling. Its pretty tough 'out there' financially for a large majority of people with businesses.  With computers being in every household, it now means that people can not only compare prices with local shops but the whole world. Who ever could have predicted that ten years ago? Because you can't see people going in and out of shop doors, or see how full the car park is, you just don't know what competition you are up against until it hits you full force in the hip pocket. Who knows in the future there may not be any shops as people will operate from home. I guess the only people laughing about all this are the posties.

[JulieO]

If my town had a kitchenware specialty shop I would be there with bells on, there's nothing like looking around and actually touching stuff, but unless I can buy what I'm after in Target or Harris Scarfe then I have no option but to purchase on-line or go without.  I agree with others that sometimes where you live has a lot to do with it, if I want spices that aren't offered by McCormick, then I have to order on-line.
 
I've tried unsuccessfully in the past 2 weeks to try and get a supply of 2 litres of pure cream to make butter, no one wants to know and it's too expensive buying the little 200ml tubs so have had to stop doing that, it's frustrating, but on the other hand I can understand that retailers aren't going to stock things that may not be big sellers.  Of course I can't order fresh produce or cream on line but it does help with stuff I wouldn't ordinarily be able to source.

As for e-books, I only ever used to buy cookbooks anyway, all my reading material came from the library as I wouldn't pay $20+ to read a story then have to think about what to do with the book (not a collector), so now having a Kindle I'm actually paying the small price it costs to download a book, something I didn't do before, so someone somewhere is now making money off me that I wouldn't have paid out before.

There is a risk when buying big ticketed items on-line, what happens if it's broken or doesn't work?  The hassle involved in returning it would be a pain so we prefer to actually buy that sort of item from a store like Harvey Norman where we can take it back and get it replaced if there's a problem.  In doing so we are choosing to pay more for those items than we could purchase for online.  My new camera is an example (still waiting....) not sure what the stuff up was/is, but something that should have only taken 2-3 days to arrive in store has still not turned up but they have reduced the price by $150 as they recently had a 15% off sale and will give us that same discount for the stuff up.

About 4 years ago when wanting a specific espresso machine, I had to order it from Melbourne as I couldn't even find a supplier in Adelaide, I was so worried, but it arrived in 2 days and I've not had a problem with it at all and it gets used every day.  I didn't get it any cheaper and would have preferred to have been able to buy it locally but sometimes it's just not possible.

I guess if we could all buy what we wanted without having to do so on-line, I'm sure most of us would do, but the reality is unless you live in a city where they have a wide selection of shops then the only way to get what you want is on-line and then you look for the best price.  

[obbie]

  Cuilidh, I so understand you. you could be me.

we too have a business, work from home, and about to move to town in a proper shop, (10 minutes from home.)
Just to get more customer foot traffic, that we don't get now.

We are in a really tiny town, butcher, corner store, pub, servo, take away, coffee shop, 3 restaurants, a couple of touristy shops, that's it.
I have to drive 25 minutes to a woolworths, or IGA.
For a shopping centre, its 1 hour drive each way.

I do buy locally, also from alot of farmers direct, as we deal with farmers every day, and in bulk as much as possible.
The farmers support us, so we have to support them, and most have roadside stalls.

I try and save up, and shop every 6 months or so, if i have to.

I like looking online, but still buy locally.
robyn

[judydawn]

Well spoken Julie - I agree wholeheartedly with everything you've said. Can also understand the point of view from the 'little man' too and I guess we all want the cheapest price we can find so they need to be very competitive in a very slow market at the moment.  In a fair world it would be nice if everyone could be winners but if it is not the internet squeezing out the little guy then it is the big 2 who have been doing it for years - I shop at neither of those supermarkets unless I cannot find what I want elsewhere. Marina, I hope your stores can hold on - I know how much time and effort goes into owning a small business as I have a DD in Melbourne with a couple of shops.  Robyn, best of luck with your new shop.

[Halex]

Hallys been shopping, such fun
I bought 2 silcone oven mitts, they withstand up to 230 degrees, so shouldn't get burnt now.
2 silicone 6  muffin trays
1 loaf tin fir 1 kg loaf
1 football cake tin
- and then the fun items
1 whoopee pie cook book
1 whoopee 12 hole baking tin
1 12piece cupcake decorating set


Oh I am going to have such fun
Hally

[maddy]

Sorry for my 'rant', everyone, I was just having a rough day and was letting off steam. 

Not at all Marina....you have just reminded us how important it is 

Robyn....good luck with your store....I wish you success!

Hally.....watch out....spending is contagious and addictive 

Today I bought....





and 10 boxes of Arabica coffee pods

[cookie1]

Marina you are more than entitled to 'sound off.' We're all friends here. I can just imagine how you feel. I am very guilty of buying e books and feel guilty that I probably caused the Borders close down all by myself. I buy nothing else on line. My DH buys parts for his vintage cars from USA as they can be bought new over there and sometimes 80 year old parts are just not safe enough.
Personally I am beginning to worry that retail here is going down hill.