[Blue]

Make sense to me.. the buying habits in North America are like "try-and-return"... traditional B&M shops can not compete with online retailers (for pricing and overhead) except for large distributors like b&h where they can move large volumes via online sales as well.

If you are in NYC, BH and Ador are B&M stores. Same thing for a couple of others like 17th St and 47th Street as well as Abe's of Maine in NJ. Therein lies the biggest part of the problem. That is the epicenter of Pentax retail in the U.S.A. but the headquarters if 2/3 of the country away in Denver with little or now storefront.

[kenafein]

How do you know (just wondering)?... I just got the 18-135mm lens hood from b&h which has been out-of-stock for a while, and they just got a new shipment; I waited for over a month.

I didn't know. The prices dropped at the big 3, it's a Pentax policy change, so good news for us all.

[mee]

Yeah.. as a result there is a pretty large push to tax online purchases with the targeting directed at larger vendors such as Amazon and the like.. but I don't think it will help local retailers much as I still suspect people will go into local shops to look around (if at all) and then order online..

The difference in pricing can still be rather dramatic and one still won't have to drive out to any store, deal with traffic, deal with people, etc.

Can just order it online and in a day or two have it at their door.

I sort of worry for BH and Adorama style shops too.. I think business is becoming more and more efficient.. and that efficiency is in getting the products out the cheapest way possible through the least amount of (costly) hands. How long before BH and the sort end up scaling back their B&M front and marketing the online business more? If one can largely automate a couple warehouses (which they would already have no doubt) and setup an electronic storefront.. I'm sure that is much cheaper than operating B&M shops and hiring 'knowledgeable' people, maintaining property, etc. I mean, amazon is doing just fine.. barnes and noble? in trouble.

[ElJamoquio]

Taxing online purchases isn't going to work. If tCalifornia taxes Amazon for having some advertisers or paid reviewers or something in California, then all the electronics shopping will just go to BH temporarily, until some other company comes along specifically structured (distribution centers in Reno and Las Vegas) with the express intent of avoiding sales tax in CA.

[mee]

uh huh.

[cfraz]

Taxing online purchases isn't going to work. If tCalifornia taxes Amazon for having some advertisers or paid reviewers or something in California, then all the electronics shopping will just go to BH temporarily, until some other company comes along specifically structured (distribution centers in Reno and Las Vegas) with the express intent of avoiding sales tax in CA.

The state of Nevada just reached agreement with Amazon to begin charging sales tax. I think it starts in 2013.

[ElJamoquio]

Nevada has a claim against Amazon as they have distribution centers there. I am unaware if there was an agreement with Amazon/Nevada.

California reached agreement with Amazon to begin charging sales tax, the last I heard it started in September of this year. California doesn't really have a claim against Amazon as far as I can tell.

Amazon's sales in CA are about to drop drastically as everyone wants a 'free' 10% discount.

[mee]

Several states are attempting to get Amazon to charge state sales tax.. Amazon tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

in the end.. I feel this is going to be a short term gain for these states. They will get increased tax dollars but on the back of Amazon which is going to end up feeling the pain from this (and thus the states tax revenue gravytrain too).

As already mentioned.. why would someone pay 10% more at one store when they can get it for less at another?

Once you get so big, everyone wants a piece of your pie.

I'm short on knowledge on business law but am wondering why they aren't branching into smaller 'companies' like Amazon Music or Amazon Camera and Photo and just use the Amazon warehouses as one of their product sources... couldn't they claim themselves each as their own unique company (say house the HQ and transaction servers in Alaska) and thus skirt sales tax? or does it not work like this?

[kenafein]

With free shipping, Amazon is still on top most of the time. It's not really fair of the state to collect if they don't collect from all online retailers though, big and small. I wonder how they are forcing the issue.

[monochrome]

Remember - you heard it here last!

Camera stores a dying breed...

Why do you think that is?

Can't compete with online, both in lower prices and lower overhead. That, and essentially the death of film (loss of selling supplies, processing, prints).

Not is St. Louis. Camera stores are thriving in St. Louis. They give better service, demonstrations, touchy / feely and they hae used departmetns.

Some of them (the pro-centered stores) are real jerks to consumers. The others are better for us. There are at least 15 real camera stores in St. Louis, a metro area of 2MM. 6 are within half an hour drive of my house.

[jmg257]

Yep - and Creve Coeur at least sells Pentax. Get to visit them once a year on my annual visit to the Muny.

Sure would be good for them if their prices did compete with online. Which of course is alot of what UPP is about.

Much prefer hands on shopping then mail order for this type of gear.

[monochrome]

Yep - and Creve Coeur at least sells Pentax. Get to visit them once a year on my annual visit to the Muny.

Sure would be good for them if their prices did compete with online. Which of course is alot of what UPP is about.

Much prefer hands on shopping then mail order for this type of gear.

The unfortunate thing for Creve Couer is I've never wanted a new body or lens that they stock. I graze the used case in Maplewood and at Ballas a couple times a year. Creve Couer is an unusual case, thouugh.