Worst advice ever

[privatebydesign]

The big future question is whether amazon and others will start raising prices once they have extinguished all the locals.

Could turn nasty if that applies to food.

I do try to support pro photo supply our local store.

I hear this discussion a lot - but the truth of the matter is; there is always going to be someone who can undercut someone else. This will keep prices low.

That might have been true a generation or two ago when no company or bank was big enough to control the supply of an entire commodity. That has been proven false for many household items nowadays and there is nobody with enough power or inclination to limit those that do other than, maybe, the European courts. Did you know the can your soda comes in costs 50% more than it needs to because JP Morgan has 100% control of the aluminum supply in the USA? How about in a country or two where a single company is given exclusive rights to water supply and that includes all rainfall on your own property?

 

[Sharlin]

One thing the local camera place faces....is having to pay sales tax. Where I live it is nearly 10%.

Hard life, really. In my country, there is 21% VAT, which is directly applied to all prices, either from physical stores or e-shops. I'd kill for 10% tax

Only 21%? Around here it's 24%. Also we have to ski to work or school every day and it's uphill both ways.

 

[LonelyBoy]

The big future question is whether amazon and others will start raising prices once they have extinguished all the locals.

Could turn nasty if that applies to food.

I do try to support pro photo supply our local store.

I hear this discussion a lot - but the truth of the matter is; there is always going to be someone who can undercut someone else. This will keep prices low.

That might have been true a generation or two ago when no company or bank was big enough to control the supply of an entire commodity. That has been proven false for many household items nowadays and there is nobody with enough power or inclination to limit those that do other than, maybe, the European courts. Did you know the can your soda comes in costs 50% more than it needs to because JP Morgan has 100% control of the aluminum supply in the USA? How about in a country or two where a single company is given exclusive rights to water supply and that includes all rainfall on your own property?

Country or two... or the state of Colorado, which has a similar law.

To your first point, remember when no one was ever going to be able to compete with IBM? Then Microsoft? Then Google? Now Apple? Or when Walmart was going to be the end of every store and take over all of retail? It's always "different this time", but it never has been.

Same with automation. The Luddites (the actual Luddites) weren't wrong - the new looms were destroying jobs. Diesel farm equipment destroyed jobs. Refrigeration destroyed jobs. Somehow, through it all, people have found ways to stay employed for the most part (though it is very painful for specific people and groups).

Just remember, it's almost never "different this time".