Thread: Trump: Amazon 'Putting Thousands of Retailers Out of Business'

Trump: Amazon 'Putting Thousands of Retailers Out of Business'






March 29, 2018

Mark Swanson


President Donald Trump took aim at Amazon again on Twitter Thursday, reiterating his concerns about the online retail giant, noting that it puts "many thousands of retailers out of business."

I have stated my concerns with Amazon long before the Election. Unlike others, they pay little or no taxes to state & local governments, use our Postal System as their Delivery Boy (causing tremendous loss to the U.S.), and are putting many thousands of retailers out of business!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2018

Amazon shed more than 7 percent of its market value Wednesday in the wake of a report that Trump is "obsessed" with Amazon and has discussed using antitrust or competition laws to clip the wings of the online retailer, and especially founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post.

Trump has often taken aim at the Postal Service for not charging Amazon enough, especially given an estimate last fall that the USPS loses $1.46 for every package it delivers from the online retailer.



https://www.newsmax.com/politics/tru.../29/id/851429/

Amazon hurts our brick and mortar retailers. No doubt about it. Other big retailers with online venues also hurt our retailers. Not sure what the answer is, the Amazon services are nice, people like them as well as the online venues from the actual retailers, but the consequences to our commercial real estate and shopping districts that make our towns and cities is starkly negative.

I'm guilty of using Amazon a lot. It's so much more convenient than dealing with the crowds at the shopping mall. Through Amazon I find the best deals on what I'm looking for and receive my item in less than a week.

The practice is completely lopsided. I miss Radio Shacks. I could go in and look at specific parts, up close and personal. Online, I often have to buy 10 times what I need. And buying groceries online? I want to pick my apples and such, not leave it to them to send what they grab.

Then, in addition to the lack of sales tax, there is the misrepresentation of shipping and handling. Lately, many sellers are deceptive in putting "5 easy payments of" in fine print with the payment amounts in big letters, leading you to think it is less than it is. That is unfair to us mathematically challenged!

When I buy an item in a brick and mortar store, the price tag is the price! Only sales tax may be added. So often, you have to go to checkout to see the added S&H and shipping cost added. When you compare that total, the B&M store may not be more expensive.

As alluded, property costs for a good location as well as property and business taxes add to the handicap B&M stores face.

I have long felt online shippers should have to collect taxes the same as any local business. I'm not against an import tax for shippers out of state. We need a level playing field.

Amazon wants to use a fleet of drones to deliver products. Obviously that can make for speedy delivery. But my pizza can get to my house just as fast with a human driver. And if drones become the norm, there will be 10 per hour buzzing over my head. No thanks. Used to be we had parks where you could fly a radio controlled model airplane. Now they want to allow drones to fly almost anywhere.
Shucks, when I was young, there were gas station attendants pumping gas. Where have all those jobs gone?

In Oregon they still pump your gas...you cannot pump it yourself.

But if you have Diesel...get out and make sure they pump Diesel...they pumped our truck full of Regular

Originally Posted by Beezer

In Oregon they still pump your gas...you cannot pump it yourself.

Yeah, my parents said they got chewed out when they moved to Oregon and tried to pump their own gas.

Originally Posted by Beezer

But if you have Diesel...get out and make sure they pump Diesel...they pumped our truck full of Regular

I hear that is not good for a diesel. When Chevy diesels first came out, a contractor I worked for bought one. Because they had the restrictive filler neck, the idiots at the dealership, not having the correct nozzle, put in gasoline. The truck lasted less than a day.

Originally Posted by jtdc

Yeah, my parents said they got chewed out when they moved to Oregon and tried to pump their own gas.

I hear that is not good for a diesel. When Chevy diesels first came out, a contractor I worked for bought one. Because they had the restrictive filler neck, the idiots at the dealership, not having the correct nozzle, put in gasoline. The truck lasted less than a day.

We caught it just as they were about done filling it up. I glance out the window and freaked out...OMG! We did not start the truck or move an inch! We made the grocery store gas station tow the truck to a garage, empty the whole tank and put a new fuel filter in it. They took care of it, no charge Apparently not the first time they did this. At least we caught it.