Economics of home delivery

[fried1765]

The 3 services you named are in bed with each other. Often the postman delivers the last leg of the trip as UPS and FedEx recognized the economies of using a carrier who was making the same trip daily. Like lunch, there is no "free" delivery. I resent having to subsidize the instant, 1-day, or 2-day gratification syndrome to which the deliverers are pandering.

AGREE 100% !!!

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

also buy Amazon gift cards at Krogers and get 4x fuel points which means I can get gas and diesel fuel for $1 off per gallon for 35 gallons. Usually 15 gallons goes in the vehicles tank and the other 20 gallons goes in 5 gallon containers for a savings of $35 usually two to three times a month. We've being buying gas for under $1 a gallon for months.
God Bless Amazon and UPS and Fedex and the rural mail delivery woman. They have saved me thousands of dollars in gas and many hours of travel time and the frustration of having to deal with the employees at our local Lowe's where my daughter, ex son in law, wife and brother have all worked at some time or extent. Knew most of their employees until they implemented their get rid of all the employees that have been there for many years program. Very few of the "Old heads" there anymore.
I needed some fluid for the transmission for a new used Polaris I recently bought for my youngest grandson and it was delivered 2 days later from Amazon at less than half the price at the local auto parts stores. I had rear gear drive fluid for it a couple days before from Advance Auto parts with their normal 20% off coupon and wife drove the 10 miles round trip there and back to pick it up, ordered it online for local pick up and they were standing there with it in their hand to give to her when she walked in the store. I don't limit myself to just delivery or just local pick up.
Business owners need to know how to make a business plan for themselves to make a profit and we customers need to shop around to save our sometimes hard earned and sometimes limited dollars and also consider the value of our time. Some items I want to hold and look at before I buy and sometimes I just want the brand I want and where I can get it from and sometimes I go quality and sometimes I go cheap, depends on my needs and use for the item. I also like for the UPS guy to come back and pick a non working item up for return and full credit with no "crap" from an employee of why it doesn't work or wait till they get time to wait on me or want to give me another one of the same non workable item. Go Amazon and go Amazon Prime for free (Since I have Prime anyway for TV viewing) quick delivery.

 

[oosik]

I seldom buy anything off any internet web site. Only if I can not buy it locally. I will do research on a product on the internet sites. This means - probably - two or three visits per year from one of the three delivery companies for something that is not local. I can truthfully say - I've never made a major purchase off any internet site.

 

[RickB]

We get a fair bit more out of our Prime membership than the shipping hook through video, ebooks and music. I don't foresee giving it up at the current price.
After giving Sams Club a second try about 10 months ago it will be one and done.

 

[Frankenkubota]

I am not a big Amazon fan!

I occasionally do buy things on Amazon, but the $35 min. order Amazon "free shipping" is Slo..ooo...oooo!
Often the same items are actually less expensive on E-Bay, and they are almost always received more promptly.
Amazon uses the "Prime" hook, to make folks think they are getting a special deal.

$120 per year for "free 2 day shipping" (sometimes), yet often higher item prices than elsewhere.
Blanket Amazon buyers are like lemmings!

Amazon is on my s*it list. Been 6 months trying to get a refund. Once you get into their customer non-service software loop you are lost. I've given up on their internet based service. I've had 3 old fashioned letters returned, address unknown. They are very good about insulating themselves from their customers.

I thought prime meant you receive the package in 2 days, nope! It means it ships in 2 days, if it's coming from Africa it might take longer.

I'm curious about the economics of home delivery in general. On the surface it just seems so wasteful but I don't know that. Seems to me the more convenient something is, the more wasteful it is, maybe not?

Im thinking of the cost of the trucks, fuel, drivers, damage done to the roads and, in suburbia, it's like the 24 hours at LeMans from the old days, drivers running to their vehicles and zoomin all over.

IMHO there will be legislation eventually to limit home delivery. Probably wrong on that too.

 

[Creamer]

US consumers use over 90 million tons of paper each year - a lot of it cardboard from guess where. Is this good use of a resource?

 

[Hay Dude]

US consumers use over 90 million tons of paper each year - a lot of it cardboard from guess where. Is this good use of a resource?

You would think the environmentalists would be up in arms about that. If I drive out to buy an item, I use fuel, but typical car uses less fuel than a box truck. The cashier places my item in a recyclable bag. The boxing of all the shipped goods consumes a lot more paper and I would think fuel. Thats a significant environmental impact.
So many small retailers have disappeared in my little town. It is a pleasure to order items on line and save miles of driving wear & tear on our vehicles. Puts back some lost time I can use to spend with family & friends.
I do both, usually according to time constraints.

 

[Macinnis]

Amazon is on my s*it list. Been 6 months trying to get a refund. Once you get into their customer non-service software loop you are lost. I've given up on their internet based service. I've had 3 old fashioned letters returned, address unknown. They are very good about insulating themselves from their customers.

I thought prime meant you receive the package in 2 days, nope! It means it ships in 2 days, if it's coming from Africa it might take longer.

I'm curious about the economics of home delivery in general. On the surface it just seems so wasteful but I don't know that. Seems to me the more convenient something is, the more wasteful it is, maybe not?

Im thinking of the cost of the trucks, fuel, drivers, damage done to the roads and, in suburbia, it's like the 24 hours at LeMans from the old days, drivers running to their vehicles and zoomin all over.

IMHO there will be legislation eventually to limit home delivery. Probably wrong on that too.

They are not in business to efficiently deliver your packages, they are in business to sell stuff (but they do a stellar job at delivering packages as well).

I certainly get my monies worth from prime...I order something at least once a week and the wife does too. Saves so much time from me having to go to either Lowe’s or Home Depot...dealing with the COVID...screw that.

Two weeks ago, I got two pair of 6 ton jack stands...one set had an issue with the double lock...instead of re packing it and waiting on them to receive the shipment back before sending me another set, I took them to kohl’s, got a receipt and had my replacement jack stands two days later (on a Sunday no less). Amazingly easy return policy.

Other than this return, which was not amazons fault, I have received one order that was just not what I bought. One email later, they told me to keep what I got and they shipped out my actual item that day...and they did.

It’s unfortunate that your letters have gone unanswered...but have you tried getting a refund from their software? They make it super easy. Businesses really don’t do letters anymore...you need to submit a query on their website or send them an email...just the way it is. They have spent billions on their website and applications to streamline everything...I would suggest trying to use their systems instead of going around them.

 

[Frankenkubota]

They are not in business to efficiently deliver your packages, they are in business to sell stuff (but they do a stellar job at delivering packages as well).

I certainly get my monies worth from prime...I order something at least once a week and the wife does too. Saves so much time from me having to go to either Lowe’s or Home Depot...dealing with the COVID...screw that.

Two weeks ago, I got two pair of 6 ton jack stands...one set had an issue with the double lock...instead of re packing it and waiting on them to receive the shipment back before sending me another set, I took them to kohl’s, got a receipt and had my replacement jack stands two days later (on a Sunday no less). Amazingly easy return policy.

Other than this return, which was not amazons fault, I have received one order that was just not what I bought. One email later, they told me to keep what I got and they shipped out my actual item that day...and they did.

It’s unfortunate that your letters have gone unanswered...but have you tried getting a refund from their software? They make it super easy. Businesses really don’t do letters anymore...you need to submit a query on their website or send them an email...just the way it is. They have spent billions on their website and applications to streamline everything...I would suggest trying to use their systems instead of going around them.

2 quick comments, the roofers are here and it's raining, again!

Efficient delivery, or inefficient delivery is a component of their cost to sell.

I have pages of notes trying to deal with Amazon customer. service. I'm in a loop and the only human you can talk to is a third party customer service person, non amazon employees!

 

[lman]

A couple of years ago, I needed a part for my tractor and went to my local CIH dealer. They did not have the part in stock and said they would order it and gave me a price with an additional charge for shipping and they would call me when it arrived at their store. I found that I could purchase the item online with free shipping. Why should I pay their shipping because they don't want to keep parts in stock? The boxing would be the same and I would have to drive to the dealer to pick up the item.