ᐅ Do you buy from a local building supply store or order online?
Created on: 13 May 2017 14:18
M
Mizit
We are generally not the type of people who need or want to watch every penny, and we understand the difference between cheap and affordable. I also see several advantages in buying something locally, where I can potentially go back to the store, make a complaint if needed, and have a contact person standing right in front of me—compared to ordering something from websites and possibly regretting it later because I tried to save a little and ended up receiving low-quality goods.
However, the budget is of course not unlimited, and where it makes sense, we want or need to save money. And this seems possible at first glance for all the products you want to install or lay.
Especially with doors, the price difference between what I have seen in local specialized stores and doors sold online seems huge. These websites even look reputable and have many reviews. It makes you wonder if it is justified to pay four times as much for a door at the local timber merchant when the product description indicates that the products should essentially be the same…
The same applies to flooring. Prices online for similar wear layers and wood types appear to be completely different from local prices, which seem significantly higher in some cases.
Now we are already considering whether we should order doors online or possibly also three new important windows online and then find someone through MyHammer to install them…
What are your experiences with online versus local shopping?
However, the budget is of course not unlimited, and where it makes sense, we want or need to save money. And this seems possible at first glance for all the products you want to install or lay.
Especially with doors, the price difference between what I have seen in local specialized stores and doors sold online seems huge. These websites even look reputable and have many reviews. It makes you wonder if it is justified to pay four times as much for a door at the local timber merchant when the product description indicates that the products should essentially be the same…
The same applies to flooring. Prices online for similar wear layers and wood types appear to be completely different from local prices, which seem significantly higher in some cases.
Now we are already considering whether we should order doors online or possibly also three new important windows online and then find someone through MyHammer to install them…
What are your experiences with online versus local shopping?
@kaho674
In our company, I’m familiar with both retail stores and online sales.
Amazon and eBay fees are quite high as a percentage, you’re right, and the money isn’t even taxed here. That’s why I prefer buying from regular online stores when shopping online.
I see personnel costs a bit differently. It’s no coincidence that Amazon doesn’t want to be classified under the retail collective agreement but rather under warehousing. Providing customer advice takes time. However, most online sales happen without any consultation.
As an online retailer, you might have a larger warehouse and more stock, but you also have a higher turnover. Just look at the huge furniture stores and think about how much you could store in the same amount of space.
In our company, I’m familiar with both retail stores and online sales.
Amazon and eBay fees are quite high as a percentage, you’re right, and the money isn’t even taxed here. That’s why I prefer buying from regular online stores when shopping online.
I see personnel costs a bit differently. It’s no coincidence that Amazon doesn’t want to be classified under the retail collective agreement but rather under warehousing. Providing customer advice takes time. However, most online sales happen without any consultation.
As an online retailer, you might have a larger warehouse and more stock, but you also have a higher turnover. Just look at the huge furniture stores and think about how much you could store in the same amount of space.
Musketier schrieb:
It’s no coincidence that Amazon wants to be classified under warehousing and distribution rather than retail in the collective agreement. This is evident in the fact that Amazon functions more as a logistics company. Just look at OTTO Versand and Hermes. OTTO itself likely consists of only a few “specialized” staff members, while most of the work has been outsourced to Hermes.
Musketier schrieb:
Take a look at the huge furniture stores and think about how much you could store in the same amount of space. Even so, the majority still has to be ordered with sometimes very long delivery times.
Musketier schrieb:
I see labor costs a bit differently. It’s no coincidence that Amazon wants to be classified under warehouse operations rather than retail in their collective agreement. Providing customer advice takes time. However, the majority of online sales happen without any consultation.Of course, this depends heavily on the industry. But especially in furniture retail, I see this personally since our family owns a furniture store. Customers receive advice in showrooms and then buy cheaply online. Anyone not shopping online these days is at a disadvantage.
Musketier schrieb:
As an online retailer, you might have more stock and therefore a larger warehouse, but also a higher turnover. Just look at the huge furniture stores and think about how much inventory you could store on the same space.There has to be an advantage to online retail, otherwise no one would do it. Naturally, that is the huge customer base.
Sascha_aus_H13 Jul 2017 15:36RobsonMKK schrieb:
That’s already evident in the fact that Amazon is more of a logistics company. Just look at OTTO Versand and Hermes. OTTO itself probably consists of only a few "qualified" minds. Most of the work has been outsourced to Hermes. Well, it depends on how you define “a few.” OTTO alone (excluding Hermes) employs around 4,500 people. The IT department by itself has about 600 staff and costs hundreds of millions annually.
But it also doesn’t make sense to compare a retail giant with a specialty store.
Nordlys schrieb:
... the specialized trade sometimes has higher purchase prices than online retailers’ selling prices. Karsten I have to say that many online retailers are actually specialized dealers. I have all the required certifications in my field. The same is probably true, for example, in the building materials trade. The suppliers of windows and doors are all professionals. You can’t sell something you don’t understand. Even with socks, you need to know your stuff. Otherwise, you’ll be out of the game quickly.
The mass sellers from China only do well until their products get reviewed on Amazon. If they don’t hold up → goodbye...
The most effective approach is to combine brick-and-mortar and online retail. Just wait and see what developments will come in the future. I work in the IT industry and deal with similar matters, though on a different scale. There’s still a lot ahead of us. Amazon is leading the way, but there are also several German retailers with big plans.
Right now, I’m dealing with the situation for my own home – the quoted prices for air conditioning units from specialized dealers are incredibly high. A unit available online for 2,000 EUR costs over 3,500 EUR locally… and then there are additional small parts and installation costs, so the total comes to more than 5,000 EUR for an air conditioning system. I decided to buy the unit myself and saved 1,300 EUR. I’m passing on 200 EUR of my original 1,500 EUR saving to the technician to compensate for his “lost earnings” on the air conditioner. But only because I’ve been completely satisfied with his work so far.
If I had also bought the small parts (pipes, etc.) myself, the savings would have exceeded 2,000 EUR, but I didn’t want to spend any more time dealing with the topic. Even so, it took way too much time.
Right now, I’m dealing with the situation for my own home – the quoted prices for air conditioning units from specialized dealers are incredibly high. A unit available online for 2,000 EUR costs over 3,500 EUR locally… and then there are additional small parts and installation costs, so the total comes to more than 5,000 EUR for an air conditioning system. I decided to buy the unit myself and saved 1,300 EUR. I’m passing on 200 EUR of my original 1,500 EUR saving to the technician to compensate for his “lost earnings” on the air conditioner. But only because I’ve been completely satisfied with his work so far.
If I had also bought the small parts (pipes, etc.) myself, the savings would have exceeded 2,000 EUR, but I didn’t want to spend any more time dealing with the topic. Even so, it took way too much time.
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