Anyone who feels this plays into the sale of basses in any way (or musical instruments) is a fool, period."
You clearly don't understand what drives online purchasing. Do you really think Amazon's one click buying tab is there for you? It's there because they know every step they eliminate from the buying process, the more they're likely to get the sale. Amazon doesn't want you to "think" about the purchase, they want you to "make" the purchase. You can believe that they are streamlining the process to help you but that couldn't be further from the truth.
Amazon and their Prime resellers often have prices that are higher than those available elsewhere. Why do you think there is are apps (wikiprice is one) that instantaneously scan the internet for prices that are better than those at Amazon? They get the sale because of the convenience of one click buying. Not to mention the fact that Amazon has licensed and gets royalties for the "one click" technology to every one from Apple to Zzounds.
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The list prices don't come from the individual stores. If shipping is being calculated into the price, its being done by the manufacturer. Not the retailer. It become the price of the instrument. Its like playing a game of semantics. Companies cut corners one way, and tack $$$ on another. Today you can get a bass of WAY better quality than you could in 1970, delivered for FREE to your door, for less than you would have had to pay in 1970 WITHOUT shipping. So shipping being a part of the price doesn't amount to a whole lot. That money is most likely being skimmed off some other place. I'm not even so sure manufacturers are actually even doing that. Just wrote all that for the sake of argument.
Also, if 5 online stores are advertising "free shipping," but Joe Schmoe Music on Main St. can't afford to do that, guess what? Then those other places are offering free shipping."
I never said the list price was determined by individual stores. What I did say was that an online retailer offering "free shipping" likely employs a sophisticated algorithm to reach the most cost effect price to market a product. Now, in an instance where there maybe only a handful of online retailers selling a particular product, an accepted price is arrived at amongst the competitors pretty quickly. Hence the reason why you see Sweetwater, MF, GC, AMS and Zzounds all selling product at identical prices. Usually, the "free shipping" claim allows these retailers a little room to work further, smaller, discounts into the sale without upsetting the manufacturer. It's certainly enabled companies selling Apple products, a little more leeway with pricing and special sale pricing.
Now, when you talk about "Joe Schmoe Music" and his inability to offer free shipping, essentially you are highlighting why so many "mom and pop" retailers are no longer in existence. Two basic reasons for why those "mom and pop" stores couldn't compete.
First, VOLUME. They are unable to avail themselves of special deals available to retail operations that are, by orders of magnitude, larger than they are. How does a single store go to a manufacturer and demand special pricing or even special merchandise? They don't. Another thing dealing with VOLUME is that the "mom and pop" store isn't shipping out 50 guitars or 50 widgets a day like the big retailer is and accordingly can't go to the USPS or FedEx or UPS (the way Amazon did) and negotiate rates unheard of by anyone else. The OP saw that in the fact that Sweetwater would give him a shipping label for $11 meanwhile a trip to the UPS store resulting in a price four times as high.
The other issue that has made it difficult to compete with the likes of an Amazon, Walmart or Target is the fact that these retailers have multiple hubs all around the country. That way they can ship an item to you much faster than the most other retailers. Let's say you have a business that ships out of NY and, because of your volume you get some attractive rates from the shipping companies. However, if you're selling the same thing as Amazon, you have a distinct disadvantage with more than half the country. If someone in Colorado buys from you, that customer is looking at a shipping time of four days. Buy the identical product from Amazon and they may have a hub in Denver so you'll see the same item the next day. It's tough to beat that.
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"I'll add to that the fact that there are MANY items Amazon sells cheaper than in stores, and offers free shipping AND returns. I bought 2 winter jackets in Macy's last year because they were having their huge blowout sale. Signs all over the store saying 50 to 70% off. I got 2 Tommy Hilfiger winter coats for under $100. I was thrilled, but felt duped and typed the item numbers into Amazon when I got home. The jackets were $10 less on Amazon, no sale, no nothing. No shipping either. On principle, I returned the Macy's jackets. Had they not duped me with the 70% BS I would have kept them. Yeah, it was childish on my part, but I hate deceptive advertising.
And there are many items that are cheaper elsewhere. Again, look into the apps that will scan the internet for the absolute lowest price.
As far as your experience with Macy's, it reminds me of all the "Going Out Of Business" signs that use to hang from the front of so many electronic shops in Times Square years ago.
You also sound just like so many of the customers who come into my wife's natural food store. They come in with an app on their phone, take a photo of the UPC on the product they're interested in, sometimes sample the product and then use the app to buy the product from Amazon. Or the customers who buy a product from the store only to come back the next day complaining that the price was cheaper on Amazon and they want their money back. I can sympathize with all the small music stores who go through this kind of treatment on a regular basis.
You may not realize this but you're the very person I was speaking of in my original post, the one who wouldn't care at all if the product he purchased came from thousands of miles away as long as he saved a few pennies over the next lowest price. It's really a shame that retail has become such a combative sport with a zero sum end game. If you didn't steal the item from the retailer, you're the loser. If you squeezed every cent out of the retailer, you're the winner. None of this bodes well for the future.
