Quote:
Originally Posted by ApK
For stuff where people are satisfied to buy without seeing, so be it.
For stuff where they did need to see it and belatedly regret the loss, if that happens (and I don't think it will, because, as I suggested above, many of the people browsing the grills are also walking out with a hammer, a can of WD-40 and a box of lightbulbs as long as they were there...) someone will fill the market need in new way that addresses the concern.
Perhaps by-appointment showrooms, concierge service, in-home-for-a-fee demos...whatever.
No ethics issue in any case as far as I can see.
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It already is happening. Best Buy and Barnes & Noble are two examples of the last of their kind left and both are on the verge of collapse.
It's not unethical to browse around a store to see what they offer. The unethical part comes in when people go to these places with no other intentions except browsing with plans to buy elsewhere. You are receiving a service and not paying for it. If people can't understand why that isn't ethical, and why companies don't appreciate that, that is a poor reflection on today's society.
And do you really think a store like Home Depot can survive selling light bulbs and WD-40 when so much display space is taken up by big ticket items?