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AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:50 AM Mar 2013

Stores Charges Customers $5 'Just Looking' Fee to Combat Showrooming



There's a store in Australia that really hates it when its customers walk around the store without buying anything.

Redditor BarrettFox posted a pic of a sign informing shoppers of a new fee at a specialty food store in Brisbane.

It's $5 for "just looking."

The fee exists to stop people from "showrooming" — which occurs when a customer looks at items in a physical store, then makes the purchase online.

The sign assures that you'll have the five dollars deducted from the final purchase price, so you'll get your money back if you buy something.


more..
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/store-charges-customers-5-just-234300072.html
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Stores Charges Customers $5 'Just Looking' Fee to Combat Showrooming (Original Post) AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 OP
Lotsa luck with that, mates frazzled Mar 2013 #1
But.. How do you know what you want to purchase actually meets your needs and desires? TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #26
I wonder what will be going into their soon to be vacant building? CBGLuthier Mar 2013 #2
I just can't imagne that happening here.. AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #4
Costco like stores already charge you a "membership" fee Johonny Mar 2013 #18
True, but infrequent buyers will subsidize prices for others members... keeping prices down. nt TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #27
I "showroom" at used book stores. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #3
And when that bookstore is gone... you'll be SOL. nt TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #28
Agreed...small bookstores are the one place I won't just check prices... joeybee12 Mar 2013 #32
Awesome! nt TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #35
If the aren't pricing their product competitively, why shouldn't they be gone? Peter cotton Mar 2013 #53
You don't understand the unfair trade practices of Amazon, etc. RainDog Mar 2013 #57
That's a great argument for why you shouldn't buy from Amazon, etc. Orrex Mar 2013 #91
of course RainDog Mar 2013 #94
All good points. Orrex Mar 2013 #95
those go out to people RainDog Mar 2013 #96
Ah--I see. Orrex Mar 2013 #97
the sales tax preference is one way RainDog Mar 2013 #98
It does cost money to own a storefront, instead of working in your underpants out of your garage. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #60
Many of the books I want are out of print. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #62
Why don't you just read it for free. Google has many OOP books online, with a search engine. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #63
Because besides reading books, I also collect them. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #65
What sort of books do you collect? RainDog Mar 2013 #67
Science fiction, fantasy, roleplaying games, military history and hardware, science, and Disneyana. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #73
If you're ever looking for something specific RainDog Mar 2013 #77
Thanks, I'll check it out! Peter cotton Mar 2013 #92
What TheBlackAdder said. riqster Mar 2013 #55
taking corporate stupidity to a whole new level--I would not enter a store that had such a policy. niyad Mar 2013 #5
There's an old golf saying House of Roberts Mar 2013 #6
Good freakin' luck... Melon_Lord Mar 2013 #7
Did they put up their own online shopping website? marions ghost Mar 2013 #8
I agree with the practice 100% olddots Mar 2013 #9
This will kill retail not help it. NYC Liberal Mar 2013 #23
So you don;t have a Costco or other membership SoCalNative Mar 2013 #38
No, I don't. NYC Liberal Mar 2013 #41
That's NOT exactly what Costco does demwing Mar 2013 #59
In addition, the Costco memberships induce "store loyalty"... JHB Mar 2013 #81
Whatever policy they implement needs to invite the customer, not punish them liberal_at_heart Mar 2013 #86
That's why your business needs to be full-service, not just an outlet. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #31
Good for you! I hope you have to pay TEN bucks every time you enter any store whatsoever. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #47
I've gone to a local store with an entrance fee tabbycat31 Mar 2013 #10
I think this has to be an advertising stunt Life Long Dem Mar 2013 #11
That's a smart move. Wait Wut Mar 2013 #12
That's what I was thinking. If you get people to look, they often buy... Phentex Mar 2013 #15
You have a gum machine? Downwinder Mar 2013 #13
How to drop your walk-in traffic to zero without really trying kudzu22 Mar 2013 #14
Not a smart move. jessie04 Mar 2013 #16
These fees are common at adult bookstores AngryAmish Mar 2013 #17
There, some people do more than look.....or so I'm told. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #43
I'd have no way of knowing for sure... AngryAmish Mar 2013 #87
I am glad someone is doing something about showrooming joeglow3 Mar 2013 #19
How is purchasing something online "cheating"? Peter cotton Mar 2013 #20
Do you pay use tax on your purchases? joeglow3 Mar 2013 #69
Why should I pay a tax on a purchase from an out of state location? Peter cotton Mar 2013 #74
Because tax is owed on location of first use joeglow3 Mar 2013 #75
So if I live in Wyoming and order a book on Amazon, not having to pay sales tax on it, Peter cotton Mar 2013 #78
Probably A Little Weird Mar 2013 #79
I looked it up; the state I'm in has suspended enfiorcement of the use tax. Peter cotton Mar 2013 #85
Doesn't make it legal joeglow3 Mar 2013 #90
So, in your entire life, you've never compared prices between/among stores? Yeah, right. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #44
The biggest advantage for online is not having to collect sales tax joeglow3 Mar 2013 #71
That's what I use amazon.com for. devilgrrl Mar 2013 #21
This is really stupid. Even if I go into a store just to look, NYC Liberal Mar 2013 #22
This message was self-deleted by its author Orsino Mar 2013 #24
so you are at the mall with your significant other who announces that she needs(wants) a new purse dembotoz Mar 2013 #25
I'm sure the stores on Rodeo Dr Politicalboi Mar 2013 #29
One time years ago . . . Brigid Mar 2013 #82
It is the business owner's right to require a fee MrTriumph Mar 2013 #30
You, and he, are positing a false dichotomy. And the exercise of a "right" can be STUPID. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #45
I don't understand your nasty response. MrTriumph Mar 2013 #72
They are going to reduce their business LiberalFighter Mar 2013 #33
YOU LET THE WINDOW SHOPPERS GO. They'll probably be the nuisance buyer anyway. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #34
You've ALWAYS bought a product in EVERY store you've walked into? Oooo-kay. WinkyDink Mar 2013 #46
I don't say I always do, but on capital purchases, I do. TheBlackAdder Mar 2013 #56
Almost as smart as a restaurant charging $5 for someone to use the bathroom. Tommy_Carcetti Mar 2013 #36
That explaination makes no sense. Dash87 Mar 2013 #37
Good luck! zappaman Mar 2013 #39
Let's here it for the letter 'r', the difference between a free market store and a fee market store HereSince1628 Mar 2013 #40
FIVE BUCKS TO ENTER THE STORE? HELL, NO! WinkyDink Mar 2013 #42
This isn't about cheating or comparing prices or services this is about the future olddots Mar 2013 #48
Kinda like topless bars charging more for "just looking". Tierra_y_Libertad Mar 2013 #49
If there is AsahinaKimi Mar 2013 #51
I had to read this 3 times before I could convince myself that it didn't say "Shrooming" Warren DeMontague Mar 2013 #50
This is a GREAT response to losing business. Matariki Mar 2013 #52
Minimize foot traffic. Great for business! RedCappedBandit Mar 2013 #54
The correct way to handle this is to offer excellent, friendly personal service, Nye Bevan Mar 2013 #58
A local furniture store out here had same day..FREE delivery and free haul away SoCalDem Mar 2013 #70
How are they going to get the money out of people? Zoeisright Mar 2013 #61
a lesson from the book How To Go Out Of Business Fast. TeamPooka Mar 2013 #64
store in texas blast air conditioning out open front doors to welcome guests it. unblock Mar 2013 #66
I buy things online so I don't have to go out to the store. MrSlayer Mar 2013 #68
They wouldn't see my business. liberal N proud Mar 2013 #76
If stores do that here they'll lose my business. Apophis Mar 2013 #80
I can see why they would not want to perform that service for their competitors treestar Mar 2013 #83
Sounds like the owner has no business savvy laundry_queen Mar 2013 #88
Provide a good commission/incentive plan for your sales people and you don't have to worry about it RB TexLa Mar 2013 #84
What a great idea Aerows Mar 2013 #89
capitalism at work cbdo2007 Mar 2013 #93

frazzled

(18,402 posts)
1. Lotsa luck with that, mates
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:52 AM
Mar 2013

I would never go to a store that charges an entrance fee. The upshot of this is that no one except those already intending to purchase something is going to enter their shop.

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
26. But.. How do you know what you want to purchase actually meets your needs and desires?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:14 PM
Mar 2013

Something might look good from the window or from the catalog, but when you see it in person, you realize it's shoddy, not what you wanted, the color is off, etc.

I give that business model a few weeks.

CBGLuthier

(12,723 posts)
2. I wonder what will be going into their soon to be vacant building?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:54 AM
Mar 2013

We had a place here 30 years ago that charged to enter to shop. I never ever ever went there. It closed and became a flea market and then they razed the building. Huge ass place with a shit-on-the-customer policy.

I have never looked at something local to buy online but I sure as hell have gone into stores, walked around for ten minutes and left because they did not have what I wanted. To pay five bucks for that privilege would be an insult to my miserly soul.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)
4. I just can't imagne that happening here..
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:58 AM
Mar 2013

To be so greedy, to charge an entrance fee to go into a shop. Bars, yes..that have entertainment..like a live band, is understandable. But to go shop for goods, and be charged for just looking, a company will not last long. Not in this economy.

Johonny

(20,684 posts)
18. Costco like stores already charge you a "membership" fee
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:52 PM
Mar 2013

which basically does the same thing as this 5$ fee. Makes you want to shop at the store to "save" enough to get back your membership fee and it insures people shop at Costco. Other stores like Macys have their own credit cards which offer you discounts for using them, but keep purchases in the store or website and they get to collect the interest fees. The store is stupid but the concept of using smart policies to prevent showrooming certainly aren't new and Macys and Costco are clearly doing well in a sea of stores doing bad. So I think you'll see more services, cards, and memberships in the future.

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
3. I "showroom" at used book stores.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:56 AM
Mar 2013

If I find a book I'm interested in, I'll quickly double-check the price at Amazon. Frequently, the price will be far less.

 

joeybee12

(56,177 posts)
32. Agreed...small bookstores are the one place I won't just check prices...
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:28 PM
Mar 2013

I'll buy there first...I want such places to stay in business.

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
53. If the aren't pricing their product competitively, why shouldn't they be gone?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:48 PM
Mar 2013
you'll be SOL

Amazon. Ebay. Abebooks. Half.com.

Something tells me I'll get along just fine. Before the Internet there were obscure books that took me years to find; now they're just a mouse click away.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
57. You don't understand the unfair trade practices of Amazon, etc.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:07 PM
Mar 2013

Small stores DO NOT receive the same discount that large entities like Amazon do. Amazon uses its clout in the marketplace to demand discounts that are actually not good for publishers, in the long term.

Those demanded discounts are not just words. When publishers have refused to give Amazon an unfair advantage on discounts, Amazon has gone so far as to remove EVERY isbn from particular publishers from their search engines. That's right - when Amazon doesn't get a price advantage, they try to hurt the companies who do business with them. One publisher wrote about the experience to highlight the kind of nasty tactics Amazon uses.

Small bookstores get a 40 to 45% discount on the cover price of a title.

This is the discount Amazon will offer on new titles. Small stores cannot offer new titles at cost, obviously. Smaller stores have to be located, usually, in a "high rent" district because these are the areas that also support foot traffic for retailers. Amazon locates warehouses in the middle of nowhere.

You DO hurt small businesses by what you are doing and they are not trying to scam you. Amazon is trying to control the entire book business by their practices and the only thing that stops them are those who are committed to keeping local businesses in business.

If you're talking about out-of-print books - that's an entirely different market than new books, but for new books, Amazon is out to destroy mom and pop businesses with their practices, which include offering items with no sales tax. Local bizzes cannot make that same offer, either, so states need to either do away with sales taxes or apply them fairly to retailers.

Amazon treats its warehouse workers like shit. Several stories have been published about the poor conditions and the nasty way they treat workers - so when you buy from Amazon, part of your cheaper price is in the way they treat their employees.

Orrex

(63,086 posts)
91. That's a great argument for why you shouldn't buy from Amazon, etc.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:30 AM
Mar 2013

It is not an argument for why you should voluntarily pay much more at a local bookstore.

Hey, I get it. We have a small online shop selling original handmade items, and we also run booths at conventions and shows. We are routinely and overwhelmingly out-sold by people who beat our prices by selling pre-packaged or mass-produced items that weren't the same as ours but were of broady similar style, etc. Many times I've seen people admiring a piece that I've made, only to put it back after several minutes and buy a cheaper, stamped-out item from the neighboring booth.

We find this intensely frustrating, but it would be foolish of us to expect customers to pay more for our products simply because we want them to do so. We have to do better somehow, connecting with our customers so that they recognize the additional value in an original handmade item instead of the mass-produced stuff.

The same is true of independent booksellers and other mom-n-pop places. It's all well and good to sing the praises of these small shops, but they need to provide value that the bigbox sites do not. That way, if you're paying 50% more for a product at the local bookstore, you come away feeling that it was worth it.

It's a profound shame that independent booksellers are having trouble competing, but it's not the responsibility of the individual customer to make up the difference out of the goodness of their hearts.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
94. of course
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:00 PM
Mar 2013

but states shouldn't put the burden on businesses in their states by requiring them to charge sales taxes while waiving (or making it the choice of the purchaser) for online venues.

sales taxes are regressive anyway, so I think doing away with them is a better option.

indies do offer other things that amazon doesn't, but on identical items, they cannot compete with an entity that insists it get preferential treatment.

and this goes back to the OP - people browse at brick and mortars and buy from Amazon - so brick and mortars are giving Amazon free advertisement - and the reason I posted this is because I understand the frustration of the person charging a browsing fee - something I don't think works, ultimately, but it demonstrates what smaller businesses are up against.

it's also not the responsibility of stores to offer online buyers the chance to view products in real time while buying them elsewhere.

Orrex

(63,086 posts)
95. All good points.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:19 PM
Mar 2013
people browse at brick and mortars and buy from Amazon - so brick and mortars are giving Amazon free advertisement

Yeah, that's a perennial problem. The same can be said of bulk mail advertisements and newspaper inserts; if they put an idea in the customer's head and the customer doesn't thereafter buy from the store that's advertising, then who benefits?

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
96. those go out to people
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:30 PM
Mar 2013

they are soliciting. It's not the same thing as someone going into a store to browse, using the store to "try out" a product they purchase elsewhere.

This is something else that indie brick and mortars offer: exposure to less well known authors and smaller presses. These are NEVER featured on Amazon - Amazon, like B&N, etc. entirely focus on the top of the list for authors, publishers, etc.

These are not things someone will find on their own while browsing at Amazon. Featuring them and being able to sell them to a customer is a feature of the "in person" experience. When I was the buyer/asst manager at an indie brick and mortar, that is one of the things I would do and it was something that customers loved and something that brought them into the venue.

Featuring things like that are the result of spending lots of time going beyond the best sellers to learn about various authors, publishers, cultural issues, etc. Local authors are also standards of indie brick and mortars - featuring their work, helping to promote them, etc.

When someone then turns around and buys such a book from Amazon, they are decreasing the likelihood of having that experience, so they're paying for that by buying at the brick and mortar. But people don't realize they are making that less likely to happen.

It's the same rationale for WalMart vs a local hardware store, etc. The local hardware store will talk to you about your purpose for a tool, etc. but can't offer items as cheaply as WalMart. If you don't support local businesses, they go away because they can't afford to exist.


Orrex

(63,086 posts)
97. Ah--I see.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:32 PM
Mar 2013

So it's about more than simply "putting the idea in the customer's head." Customers are actually checking out the product on the shelf and then ordering it online. I can see how that's a problem.

Can't say that the $5.00 showroom fee will do anything but make people hate that one store, but I honestly can't think of anything else that would help, either.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
98. the sales tax preference is one way
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:38 PM
Mar 2013

the other is for people to recognize that where they put their dollars matters.

If someone buys from a local business, money from that goes back into their own community. If someone buys from an online entity, that money goes to another state.

This has been one focus - the "buy local" movement - that talks about ways people create their own communities by the choices of where they spend their money.

This has a much greater impact on people who live in communities that have urban areas that are mixed - biz/dwelling, etc.

Someone who lives in a suburb, commutes to work in a car, etc. doesn't have the same incentive to create an livable space that's not just made up of big box stores.

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
60. It does cost money to own a storefront, instead of working in your underpants out of your garage.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:24 PM
Mar 2013

And this guy window shops at USED bookstores?

Did I get that right?

He's too cheap to pay retail so he goes used to see what's out there, only to go online for even cheaper?

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
62. Many of the books I want are out of print.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:29 PM
Mar 2013

If a used book store has it at a competitive price, great! If they don't I'll buy it from someone who does.

Really, is this such a strange concept?

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
63. Why don't you just read it for free. Google has many OOP books online, with a search engine.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:31 PM
Mar 2013

Then you don't have to pay anything.

Or you could buy the book and then eBay it when you are done.

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
65. Because besides reading books, I also collect them.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:35 PM
Mar 2013

At last count, I had well over 5,000 books in my library.

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
73. Science fiction, fantasy, roleplaying games, military history and hardware, science, and Disneyana.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 07:05 PM
Mar 2013

That probably covers about 80% of it.

RainDog

(28,784 posts)
77. If you're ever looking for something specific
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 07:45 PM
Mar 2013

let me know and I can check with local sellers who aren't online or don't have all their inventory online. Both long-time book dealers. My masters is in rare books and ms.

I have about a third of my inventory at this time online - it's really time consuming for out-of-print on many items because you have to indicate the individual state of each book. It's much more time consuming to sell books online than in person, actually.

the only problem with price comparisons between online and brick and mortar is you see what you're getting, exactly, in person but not always online. I am conservative in my descriptions b/c I'd rather someone be happily surprised than disappointed.

anyway, here's a link to my storefront on abe, if you're interested in browsing. I try to add at least 50 new titles a week.

http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/StoreFrontDisplay?cid=53462510

niyad

(112,438 posts)
5. taking corporate stupidity to a whole new level--I would not enter a store that had such a policy.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 11:58 AM
Mar 2013

"just looking" is one of my favourite activities. and, who knows, I may be scouting for someone else, or just having an inexpensive outing. I don't purchase anything online, but that is completely beside the point.

House of Roberts

(5,122 posts)
6. There's an old golf saying
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:00 PM
Mar 2013

a two foot putt never made a three foot hole.

They won't buy anything if they don't come in the store. I seldom have time to comparison shop, anymore, and the walking/standing becomes painful if I keep it up for too long. However, on a big ticket item, like the last TV I had to buy, I went to several stores to get a feel for the price range, for a TV I could carry home that day. I wouldn't have given any store $5 just to look. If they don't want to compete, they aren't competitive.

marions ghost

(19,841 posts)
8. Did they put up their own online shopping website?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:04 PM
Mar 2013

that could help them compete. This policy might hurt business even more. They need more attractants. As a specialty food store, they could come up with creative attractants. And maybe apply Best Buy's new policy--

I heard that Best Buy has decided they will meet any online price if you come to the showroom. That could work.

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
9. I agree with the practice 100%
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:07 PM
Mar 2013

If something isn't done you can all sit at home and have nowhere to be around other people--We all love the internet but convenience has its price .We complain about no jobs then don't support off line real life businesses

NYC Liberal

(20,132 posts)
23. This will kill retail not help it.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:52 PM
Mar 2013

You want to ensure I never enter your store? Try charging me to do so.

NYC Liberal

(20,132 posts)
41. No, I don't.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:07 PM
Mar 2013

There are tons of little shops in my neighborhood and all over the city. When I'm walking around and I see a cool-looking place, I'll stop in and look around -- and I often buy something if I see something I like. If all those shops started charging just to go in, I wouldn't do that.

Just yesterday I happened to walk by The Strand (bookstore). I poked my head in and looked around for a little bit to kill some time. I ended up buying a couple books.

 

demwing

(16,916 posts)
59. That's NOT exactly what Costco does
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:15 PM
Mar 2013

Costco offers discount shopping available only to its members. The specialty food shop obviously doesn't offer any discounts, which is why they fear competition.

One encourages savvy shoppers and subsidizes its discounts through membership fees, the other penalizes savvy shoppers, and subsidizes its profit margin through the "just looking fee"

JHB

(37,133 posts)
81. In addition, the Costco memberships induce "store loyalty"...
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:05 PM
Mar 2013

...i.e., members make more of their purchases at Costco in order to make use of the membership they've already bought. And it sells a wide-enough variety of goods for that to be effective.

Celiac Supplies (which seems to be the store in question) appears to be a high-end grocery store. One that's simple enough to bypass, especially since they have brick&mortar+online competitors in their area.

Maybe they should try the membership approach. It would have to work better than a gate fee.

liberal_at_heart

(12,081 posts)
86. Whatever policy they implement needs to invite the customer, not punish them
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:54 AM
Mar 2013

I agree a membership fee invites people in. This sign this store put up just insults people. They're not going to get customers that way.

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
31. That's why your business needs to be full-service, not just an outlet.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:23 PM
Mar 2013

Sure, someone can get a large appliance delivered mail-order from a discount shop but many times that leads to more problems for the customer in the event of servicing, warranty claims, etc. Many of those discount delivery places will prop off factory seconds or slightly damaged goods as new. You'll pay full boat for an appliance that might have been in someone's home for a day or two before it was returned. Better places don't do that.


And, don't dismiss what I say.

Most of the real discount stores will sell seconds as new. Not all the time, but many times.



Then, 3 months later, after your manufacturer warranty expires... you find yourself with a device having a failing logic board, motor, control unit, etc... and you're stuck with it!

tabbycat31

(6,336 posts)
10. I've gone to a local store with an entrance fee
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:12 PM
Mar 2013

It's a really cool thrift store/vintage store. However, the entrance fee was 10 cents.

 

Life Long Dem

(8,582 posts)
11. I think this has to be an advertising stunt
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:14 PM
Mar 2013

Because they sure did get peoples attention. So he cancels the fee and receives attention for his store. People may be more interested now in what they would have been charged to look at. Otherwise I have no idea why a business owner would do this.

Wait Wut

(8,492 posts)
12. That's a smart move.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:18 PM
Mar 2013

If you want to go out of business.

Yes, I 'showroom' shop often. It's rare that I don't end up buying something I don't need, but just had to have 'cause the awesomeness was too much for me to resist. Those items are normally much more than $5.

You put up a sign like that, I'm not putting a $5 deposit on something I may or may not buy.

Phentex

(16,330 posts)
15. That's what I was thinking. If you get people to look, they often buy...
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:33 PM
Mar 2013

even when they were just checking out prices. Many stores are trying anything to get people to walk in. Giveaways, super sales, people in gorilla suits, lol.

When I tell someone I'm just looking, it usually means I want a few minutes to check things out and then I'll ask for help when I need it. A good salesperson will make sure to check back if you have questions.

This seems like a crazy idea to me!

kudzu22

(1,273 posts)
14. How to drop your walk-in traffic to zero without really trying
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 12:30 PM
Mar 2013

I bet your salesmen will thank you for this policy. The job's much easier with no customers.

 

joeglow3

(6,228 posts)
19. I am glad someone is doing something about showrooming
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:31 PM
Mar 2013

How many millions of needed dollars are cities and states being cheated out of because of online retailers?

 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
78. So if I live in Wyoming and order a book on Amazon, not having to pay sales tax on it,
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 09:09 PM
Mar 2013

I'm breaking the law?

A Little Weird

(1,754 posts)
79. Probably
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 09:39 PM
Mar 2013

It depends on the state. In Kentucky you are supposed to estimate the amount you spent online that you didn't pay tax for and pay a "use tax". You're supposed to do this but no one really does and I don't think they have any way to enforce it.

I think it's appropriate to pay what tax I owe, but it's just really hard to keep track. Some online retailers charge tax and some don't. For example, if I buy something from Amazon, I have to pay sales tax b/c it has a physical presence in KY. But other sites don't charge the sales tax. It would be easier for me if they would just tax it when I bought the item.

From the regs:

When a web-based retailer or any out-of-state retailer does not collect the 6 percent Kentucky sales and use tax, the consumer is responsible for reporting and paying use tax on those untaxed purchases, in accordance with KRS 139.330.
 

Peter cotton

(380 posts)
85. I looked it up; the state I'm in has suspended enfiorcement of the use tax.
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 01:32 AM
Mar 2013

I can order tax-free to my heart's content.

 

joeglow3

(6,228 posts)
90. Doesn't make it legal
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:29 AM
Mar 2013

The state has said it is too hard to track down all cheaters and is probably not worth it. However, the reality is you are still breaking the law (Chapter 2, Section 4(a)(i)(i) in Wyoming if you are looking) in order to save a few dollars. You are still making the choice to ignore the law and not pay the taxes you legally owe.

And I bet you criticize businesses for doing the same thing.

 

joeglow3

(6,228 posts)
71. The biggest advantage for online is not having to collect sales tax
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:55 PM
Mar 2013

which fucks over your local and state government and, by extension, the most vulnerable who rely on that.

But hey, you got yours, right?

NYC Liberal

(20,132 posts)
22. This is really stupid. Even if I go into a store just to look,
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:49 PM
Mar 2013

I often end up buying something.

Or I come back another time. So now I'm going to be penalized if I go to look so I can come back later?

This would just ensure I don't even go in at all and deny them a chance to TRY to sell me something.

Response to AsahinaKimi (Original post)

dembotoz

(16,740 posts)
25. so you are at the mall with your significant other who announces that she needs(wants) a new purse
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 01:55 PM
Mar 2013

and you proceed to hit every damn store in the mall


am I supposed to shell out 5 bucks at each one?????



I don't think so
homey don't play that game

 

Politicalboi

(15,189 posts)
29. I'm sure the stores on Rodeo Dr
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:18 PM
Mar 2013

Have a similar policy, and it works great for them.
Perhaps this store thinks they're getting close to Rodeo Dr.

Brigid

(17,621 posts)
82. One time years ago . . .
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:29 PM
Mar 2013

My mom and my stepdad were in New York. Fifth Avenue, I think. They started to go into what looked like a high-end men's store and found it locked, even though it was midday. A salesman came to the door and very snootily told them the store was open "by appointment only." They laughed for the rest of the day over that!

MrTriumph

(1,720 posts)
30. It is the business owner's right to require a fee
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:19 PM
Mar 2013

The owner has the fee posted. If a shopper doesn't want to pay it, then the shopper can decline to enter the store.

One can understand the store's position. Shoppers use the store to get a hands on experience with the desired product and then later buy from a drop shipper or online store that does not offer that hands on shopping experience. The online seller has little if nothing invested in sales staff, a building and maybe even product as well.

As shown by the brick & mortar store owner in this case, the current mix of the successful older retail models existing alongside the online seller model is not working for many brick and mortar businesses.

One other note: Who facilitates the payroll, property & the majority of sales taxes that keep your government services available? Answer: Business conducted through brick & mortar businesses pay far more than through online sellers.

 

WinkyDink

(51,311 posts)
45. You, and he, are positing a false dichotomy. And the exercise of a "right" can be STUPID.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:15 PM
Mar 2013

There isn't just ONE B&M store vs. the Goliath Internet.

LiberalFighter

(50,504 posts)
33. They are going to reduce their business
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:36 PM
Mar 2013

I use to regularly go to various stores just to browse to see what was new and have an idea what features were available on different products. Sometimes it was just to browse and other times I would do it in conjunction with a purchase. It gave me an idea what was available and if I was in need of it in the future I knew where to get it.

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
34. YOU LET THE WINDOW SHOPPERS GO. They'll probably be the nuisance buyer anyway.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:38 PM
Mar 2013
Let them shop lowest price and let them live with their decision.

Many of these low-ball shoppers are the ones who become a complete pain to deal with before, during and after the sale.

They are also the ones who go online to write bad reviews when you try hard to make restitution for a complaint or claim.

===

Concentrate on providing sales and service to the customers who will minimize your post-sales costs.

===

Let them go to a discount seller who will most probably sell them something 'NEW' that was really:

1) a factory second (to maximize profits);

2) a unit that was installed in someone's home for a day or two before it was returned (don't eat the loss);

3) something that was damaged in transit and repaired before the sale.

4) a lower grade version of the same model, expressly for discount chain sales.

===

Let that customer get a washer or dryer that was racked, has a failing logic card, a failing control unit, internal stress cracks that aren't visible, or a myriad of other issues.

Let that customer live with their decision when, after the warranty, the component fails and needs repair.

When you buy products in many discount chains, many times, they are a subset of the high-end retailer's product. Built with a slightly lower grade of materials, thought they look exactly the same way on the outside. That's how the manufacturer gets to make a profit when they are forced by the chains to provide products at extremely low margins.

I see these folks go and buy discount goods all the time and then complain that the unit they bought failed... besmirching the company that manufactured the unit, when in reality, the seller sold the buyer a defective unit as being new.
 

WinkyDink

(51,311 posts)
46. You've ALWAYS bought a product in EVERY store you've walked into? Oooo-kay.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:20 PM
Mar 2013

And your involved scenario is both specious and irrelevant.

TheBlackAdder

(28,076 posts)
56. I don't say I always do, but on capital purchases, I do.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:06 PM
Mar 2013

I don't go to stores and compare prices and check out good with the express desire to shop on-line either.


Now, I forgot one of the best schemes these discount outlets do:

When they sell a product to one owner, and that owner complains of a problem, many times, they will strip the part off of an in-stock item ans swap it out. Especially, if the unit was not under warranty anymore. This way, the new unit's buyer gets the defective unit and can make a warranty claim against it.


The same thing happens when you take you care into service at some of the sleazier dealers.

1) You will bring your car in for an oil change.

2) Another car will have a defective part in it that matches the part in your car.

3) The dealer will swap parts, so the guy has your part in their car.

4) The dealer will charge that guy FULL price for that part.

5) You will take your car home and, what do you know, you now have something wrong with your car that wasn't wrong when you took it into the dealer.

6) You take your car back to the dealer to fix it and they will submit it as a warranty claim.

(Hopefully, if you leave your car there, other parts won't be swapped out on it in a similar manner.)


What this does is, a) the dealer gets a part for free, instead of ordering it though the parts depot and paying 2/3rd price for it. b) gets to charge full price for a part that was free; c) gets you to come back for service to replace the defective part with a 'free warranty unit. Perhaps you'll trade-in or get other service performed.

Have you ever noticed that something on your car will be broken shortly after visiting a dealership? A relative, who worked for a major company, warned me that certain dealers are under investigation by the manufacturer for doing just this.

As far as the relevancy... I said to let them go elsewhere.. It will be their loss.

Tommy_Carcetti

(43,085 posts)
36. Almost as smart as a restaurant charging $5 for someone to use the bathroom.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:41 PM
Mar 2013

And then using the sheriff to hunt them down to make sure they pay their bill.

http://now.msn.com/flood-zone-sent-bill-to-patricia-barnes-for-using-bathroom


Restaurant hunts down, sends bill to woman who used bathroom
3/1/2013


Most restaurants that have a patrons-only policy for restrooms don’t get pissed when noncustomers really have to go. Not so the owner of The Flood Zone in Erin, Tenn. Patricia Barnes recently went there badly in need of the facilities. When she did her deed, an employee told her there was a $5 fee for noncustomers to use the restroom. Barnes, understandably, left without paying. Days later, she received a note at her home with a bill — the owner wrote down her license plate number and had local sheriff track her down. When Barnes twice tried to pay the bill, the owner refused, saying she only wanted to make a point.

Dash87

(3,220 posts)
37. That explaination makes no sense.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 02:45 PM
Mar 2013

"We have such similar prices and such rare items that people go somewhere else!"

Ummm... Sure, Captain.

 

olddots

(10,237 posts)
48. This isn't about cheating or comparing prices or services this is about the future
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:31 PM
Mar 2013

Yes its a dumb sign and policy that's reactionary but to keep a place open with absurd real estate prices , anti small business taxes
etc....etc....etc.....

Now I'll get reactionary . Imagine waking up with only Starbucks filled with wankers not speaking to each other flailing their lap tops
texting and being ISLANDS as in no woman/man is an island . Bad Sci Fi ? no its becoming a reality .last week there was a thread about tipping which could have been titled what goes around comes around . I learned that California doesn't pay minimum wage to wait staff and was glad I am a generous tipper.
This sign is a wake up call ...imagine you were the store owner just for a minute -------Imagine . its easy if you try.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)
51. If there is
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 03:43 PM
Mar 2013

Entertainment going on inside an establishment, i can understand charging. A lot of bars do it in San Francisco, when there is something special going on at night. Even during the Superbowl, some sports bars had a 3 dollar entrance fee, because they knew they would draw a large crowd, and they had multiple screens people could watch. They also had some excellent food for watching the game with.

But for just an everyday simple store like this, its not going to attract much business if they post a sign saying, five dollars to take a look around. In this economy, people want to know where their dollars go. Five dollars can buy a few items that you just might need, when you run out of money at the end of the month.

The store owner has every right to charge a fee to get in, Just as we have every right to choose not to go in.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
58. The correct way to handle this is to offer excellent, friendly personal service,
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:14 PM
Mar 2013

including delivery, set-up, and superb after-sales service. In other words, offer something that Amazon and co have a hard time competing with. This explains why PC Richards is thriving in the NY metro area.

SoCalDem

(103,856 posts)
70. A local furniture store out here had same day..FREE delivery and free haul away
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:54 PM
Mar 2013

Their prices may have been a little higher, but I always bought appliances & furniture there...They would special order stuff for me too at NO extra cost..

It broke my heart when they finally closed it down last year (they had been there since 1958), but the owner's wife got cancer and then he was diagnosed with Parkinsons.. That furniture store turned their kids into doctor and lawyer, so there was no "next generation" to run it..

Zoeisright

(8,339 posts)
61. How are they going to get the money out of people?
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:24 PM
Mar 2013

Stand there and charge people to come in?

Sounds like a great way to lose business.

unblock

(51,974 posts)
66. store in texas blast air conditioning out open front doors to welcome guests it.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:44 PM
Mar 2013

extravagant and wasteful, nevermind the greenhouse effects, but it shows the usual priority of businesses to draw people in the front door.

cover charges are the antithesis of that, and rarely work outside of bars and dance halls.

now even people who have no intention to "showroom" have to be damn sure they'll buy before setting foot in the store.

 

MrSlayer

(22,143 posts)
68. I buy things online so I don't have to go out to the store.
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 04:49 PM
Mar 2013

If I'm at the store and have the item in hand, I buy it. This "show rooming" is one of the stupidest things I've ever heard of.

treestar

(82,383 posts)
83. I can see why they would not want to perform that service for their competitors
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:36 PM
Mar 2013

Show the stuff and have people handling it and taking up your employee's time with questions with no intent to buy from you. I'd say close the shop and put everything online if that's how that business is working. There's no reason to be the showroom for your competitors for free.

laundry_queen

(8,646 posts)
88. Sounds like the owner has no business savvy
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:17 AM
Mar 2013

Clearly, the prices are so high that people who do come in aren't buying. It may not be because they are 'showrooming'. If I'm curious about a store, and I go have a look, and I see the prices, sometimes I freak out and buy nothing. Then I go home, contemplate, and later on come back to buy a few things that I think are important (this is a specialty food store, right? that's the kind of store I'm talking about).

If what the owner says is true - all kinds of people are coming in to have a look and then going home to buy it online - maybe he/she needs to set up an online store, with incentives to buy in store for people who are on the email list. Like Old navy sometimes will have an 'online only' sale or an 'in store only' sale.

Sounds like this business owner simply is a terrible business person with no imagination and would rather punish customers who don't behave 'appropriately' instead of figuring out how to turn them into loyal customers. I don't give this business very long if that's how the owner operates.

 

RB TexLa

(17,003 posts)
84. Provide a good commission/incentive plan for your sales people and you don't have to worry about it
Tue Mar 26, 2013, 10:41 PM
Mar 2013
 

Aerows

(39,961 posts)
89. What a great idea
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 09:24 AM
Mar 2013

Not enough people are buying things, so let's give people even less reason to enter the store at all. On the bright side, I'm sure people will be able to get some great buys at their going out of business sale. LOL

cbdo2007

(9,213 posts)
93. capitalism at work
Wed Mar 27, 2013, 11:34 AM
Mar 2013

can't believe so many here are against capitalism when we get such great things like this happening.

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