That is a viewpoint but in this view it was Henry Ford that personally led to the general demise of Black Smiths, stables, the carriage industry and et alia.
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Misguided analogy.
Henry Ford introduced a new transportation product. He did not compete with black smiths and horse carriages. He made cars.
Amazon does not sell unique products that are indicative of the brand. They sell everyone's products while not paying mom and pop overhead, providing the tax benefits of local businesses, all while using Henry Ford's automated platforms and concepts to drive down prices.
Correlation does NOT equal causation.
FWIW
Data is plural and requires plural modifiers.
This is a totally non related statement, but hey, why not. A lot is written on this forum that has nothing to do with what is being discussed.
Also, FWIW, her is an object pronoun and should used after the verb in the sentence, not as a subject.
Computers don't subtract... they add negative numbers.
Anything else?
By the way, without using google, how many teaspoons in a tablespoon?
This is for everyone: Please, please, please, do America a favor, keep analogies accurate to the topic at hand.
This... After a margarita and after no drinking for a month because of this damned Kito diet.
Agreed and exactly my point.
You are over thinking this perhaps.
It was people, consumers, who drove the change.
Same with Amazon, it is providing the services (product) people are choosing. Amazon exploits these changes and the new paradigm most efficiently, Amazon, et al, have changed nothing by itself, it is the consumer and their needs that are the drivers in retail transformation.
Too hard to support B&M in the People’s Republic of Illinois. You’ve the Federal, State, County Tobacco taxes on top of the Federal State, County and City sales taxes. A $10 tin of MM965 will run you $22 in Chicago. Though I’ll still peruse and occasionally buy estate pipes from Iwan Ries.
Yes, I understand your perspective. My concern with Amazon is that it has created a new infrastructure of commerce that relies in B&M to show case sizes and styles and yet the government and the local shops bear much of the costs if Amazon’s success with the benefits.
There is much truth in this.
I can personally testify that even within multi national B&M a companies, companies that have a strong internet business, the b&m divisions complain and worry about being reduced to the role of very expensive “showrooms” for the benefit of their internet based co-divisions.
If your background was in IT or eCommerce, you’d understand this, that it’s not a viewpoint, it’s a fact, Amazon changed the world of business, and commerce.
One day we might all be working for Amazon in the future. LOL ?
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My background aside, I see that the world changed and Amazon was best able to exploit the change. In your view you have the tail wagging the dog.
As for Amazon being the end sum of retail evolution I see that as a short view. You mentioned 30 years as a measure, thirty years ago Sears catalog was once thought to be the ultimate at home shopping experience, now... not so much. Thirty years ago IBM was the ultimate in tech, again, times change. Thirty years from now Amazon will likely be another footnote in retail and business evolution.
These views are based on my own business experience and should not be taken as determinative, if I knew for sure where things were going I would put this device down and go there now.
Thirty years from now, the streets may very well be littered with the blood and flesh of these billionaires. Economic status an illustration in the hallmarks of history. It’s always good to keep that I. Mind.
If you’re interested, you’d have to research on this from the leading IT/eCommerce professionals.
My background is IT on various levels including eCommerce, the question for anyone interested would be, did any one business or several business create this? The answer is no, Amazon had the greatest effect, and did what no one was doing at the time.
Next, was there anyone before Amazon at this volume of business? The answer is no.
Here’s one site with a little eCommerce history.
The History of eCommerce: How Did it All Begin?
The History of eCommerce: from Its Origins to Modern Day Updated 06/06/23 Electronic commerce, or eCommerce, refers to buying and selling products and services on the Internet. eCommerce can happen in many forms, like ordering goods, purchasing a service, buying a subscription to an information...
www.iwdagency.com
Also the timing of Amazon, exploiting, etc., it’s not the point, the point is, that in the world of professional IT/eCommerce, Amazon is recognized as the one that changed the commerce world, no one was before them, and at that time, they were the only ones.
You could say Amazon are the Founders.
Also I’m not talking about the future of eCommerce, I’m talking about the past and present, where we will be is anyone’s guess, it’s not the point and issue, I’m pointing out how we got here, called Amazon.
These are facts, not made up stories, just research it, if it interests you, then you’ll know.
I can see you are in earnest but respectfully disagree with your perspective as being historically too narrow and too short for my comfort.
Time will be the final arbiter. ?
Time will be the final arbiter. ?
When you said time, I’m not referring to the future of Amazon or eCommerce, where it is headed.
I’ve been trying to point out the beginning of eCommerce, where it came from, how it started, and who had the greatest impact, as to where we stand now in the present day.
I don’t expect, nor would I want anyone to ever simply believe what someone says, me included.
But the beauty here, is that we are only talking about 40-50 years of history, with Amazon coming onto the scene in the early 90s.
I want to be very clear, so you understand, I’m not sharing my viewpoints, I’m pointing out the facts, it’s up to you to research that to know.
The Data is online if you want to take the time to research, how long, that depends on you, I can’t point you in any one direction, as there are many credible professional sources, you can also simply reach out to the top leading experts of our time to find this out as well, like contacting the leading CEOs of American business, Google, Apple, etc...
This is not like any sort of a mystery on something that happened hundreds of years ago, with very limited obscure information floating around, that very few know anything about.
We’re talking about eCommerce of the 20th Century, and professional data is out there, at professional sources.
Just go research.
SP won't drive anyone out of business. Laudisi, who owns SP, is a major distributor as well so they have a vested interest in B&M's staying in business. Outside of disasters and oppressive government over reach, B&M's will generally go out of business because of their inability or desire to change their pricing and business model to changing market conditions. Lots of small businesses open up with a fixed idea of what their business will be and some have a hard time changing and adapting. The two largest "pipe" shops in Chicago both embraced the internet early on and are still doing well. Others have disappeared. Tobaccopipes.com in a relatively new business that has both an online presence and a storefront so it's not that new businesses can't make it. Just look at restaurants. While there is an abnormally high closing rate, COVID knocked out 20% of them because they didn't adapt and figure out how to deliver or have alternative spaces. The ones that did are still doing well.
I have yet to buy tobacco online. By some quirk, there is a pretty good B&M store in Weatherford, Texas. They have a decent selection of new and estate pipes, bulk and tinned blends including C&D and MacBarens. The proprietor is actually a pipe smoker and is very knowledgeable. Interestingly, they don’t carry any codger blends, but he noted he is willing to order. Yes a two oz can of Cornell & Diehl is twenty bucks, but a good chunk of that is due to taxes.
Right now I am on vacation in Arizona bothered to stop at Stag’s in Scottsdale.
Right now I am on vacation in Arizona bothered to stop at Stag’s in Scottsdale.
Thank you for your response, however I am not sure we are having the same discussion.
I was there at the birth of e-commerce so I have some sense, however imperfect, of who, what, where and when. Be that as it is, my only reflections and predictions where concerning the future of brick and mortar stores aside from some off the hip comments on Amazon being in the right place at the right time and my belief that it is not the end of retail evolution.
Peace brother.
If Big Tobacco is the primary influencer then logically we should push for a tax exemption on Latakia.
I don't think I've ever seen a RYO Latakia blend.
I don't think I've ever seen a RYO Latakia blend.
Somehow I don't see niche B&M stores going away. Book stores still exist, as do record stores and almost any other specialty stores that cater to a very niche clientele. Sure it's expensive and not always conveniently located. But as long as someone is making pipe tobacco, there will be a physical retail establishment selling it.
The B&Ms in like a 50 square mile radius from me stink for pipes. No one carries any brands I care about and the selection is crap.
Rich's in Portland, OR is the closest decent one but the prices are horrible.
That said, one of my pastors was just in the Briar and Burley in Indiana and they had esoterica and some secondhand NOS tins, including some McClelland. Needless to say, he is bringing home a haul for us to go halvsies on. The esoterica was very fair market prices. The McClellands was about the same prices as I can buy from you guys here so we skipped that stuff.
Rich's in Portland, OR is the closest decent one but the prices are horrible.
That said, one of my pastors was just in the Briar and Burley in Indiana and they had esoterica and some secondhand NOS tins, including some McClelland. Needless to say, he is bringing home a haul for us to go halvsies on. The esoterica was very fair market prices. The McClellands was about the same prices as I can buy from you guys here so we skipped that stuff.