el guapo wrote
The problem comes when all of those one guys turn around and bitch about (a) the fact that music stores are closing down; (b) the music stores that remain don't carry the product they want to try out; (c) there is no local support for the product they bought; (d) the staff in music stores are undertrained/undermotivated; (e) the music stores won't give them a discount, etc, and SEE NO CONNECTION between these gripes and the fact that they are doing their shopping online and therefore hurting the music store's ability to trade.
Don't get me wrong: I've bought online. I have no problem with people doing so. But don't then turn around and, whether implicitly or explicitly, accuse the stores of ripping you off without putting any thought whatsoever into the costs involved in running a store. Again, they could well be ripping us off horribly, but in these tricky economic times it seems unlikely, and anecdotal experience suggests otherwise too. But the OP and several others haven't even paid lip service to the obvious costs involved in running any business, let alone retail. And for the record, I'm not in retail, music or otherwise, and never have been. But without thinking for more than 30 seconds I could come up with some pretty major expenses they'd have. Then turning around and saying "good points, but I still don't like it" is kind of the equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and going "nanananana".
I don't want to be an asshole to someone who's new here, and if I'm being overly harsh I hope Alan and the mods tell me so.
Relax, the stores are doing fine regardless of whether a few people shop online or not. The majority still go to stores as per normal and either don't know they can get gear cheaper elsewhere or simply don't care because they are willing to pay extra for the personal service and aftersale support.
And then I see my 11year old nephew picking out gift ideas online and e-mailing them to my brother-in-law
before Christmas and I get worried.....
