Quote:
Originally Posted by Anjohl
I am all about "Showcasing" as it were. [...] I fail to see where any ethical quandary exists, either from Amazons, or in particular, the customers point of view.
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Where showrooming is egregious, IMO, is when you go to a store without any intention of buying from them, yet tie up their staff's time, and otherwise use them to your advantage. Showroomers are the people who go to the store already planning to buy it on Amazon or elsewhere, but still want to see it in person first. Hell, there are people who go into a store, try an item on for size, and then go buy online: there the store provided them a service (sizing) at a cost to the store (staff, hydro, wear and tear on display units, etc.), one the showrooming consumer is happy to accept for free under false pretenses.
It's easy to complain about corporate mark-ups and bored minimum wage staff at big box stores (though they do still have to pay their staff and pay the bills), but that kind of logic is the same cited by shoplifters; both cost the store money, one directly, the ohter indirectly.
But what about someone who showrooms in their small, local, independent shoe store, or bicycle shop? A company that is engaged with the community, provides great customer service. Showrooming happens there too, is that OK? Should it matter how many owners/shareholders a company has to have before showrooming is OK?
If the local store provides something the online store cannot (absolute confirmation that you want to buy something due to trying it out in person, or personalised sizing), and you got that from the store under the pretense that you might buy from them (even though you knew absolutely that you would not), I think most Canadians would find that pretty unfair. You've willingly stolen time and energy for your benefit, from a store you knew in advance you weren't going to patronise, and in fact did so with every intention that you were going to patronise an online competitor.
Swinging by your local store in good faith, finding their value proposition not to your liking, and then buying online is not showrooming. Using a local store to your advantage with prior knowledge that you were going to buy elsewhere, that is showrooming. And market research is suggesting most Canadians find that distateful (and rightly so, if you ask me).
As to the retailer "holding all the cards", I'd argue that's not accurate. It's generally possible, with a bit of research, to find out approximate retail mark-ups from wholesale (perhaps for the category in general, perhaps for items in specific). Some consumers do use this information to their advantage in negotiating with retailers. And don't wholesalers have all but the biggest retailers "by the short and curlies" in most cases? I don't care how big you are, you can't charge less than your wholesale for very long, nor can you charge more than the consumer is willing to pay, and you have to make enough somewhere in the middle to stay in business and pay your staff. It's a delicate balancing act.