News: 0175124261

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Online Discounts Are Getting Stingier (sherwood.news)

(Tuesday September 24, 2024 @05:25PM (msmash) from the better-luck-next-time dept.)


Steep online discounts aren't as sweet as they used to be. From a report:

> The average discount offered by online retailers in the US is [1]down to 36% so far this year , data from Centric Market Intelligence shows. That's down two percentage points from last year, and down from an average of 42% in 2019 -- a 14% drop in real terms. Finding a bargain is getting tougher for a variety of reasons, according to retail experts who spoke with Sherwood. Sellers are having to pay more for raw materials, and they're shelling out more in customer-acquisition costs to get you to order from them. Fulfilling online orders is also generally more expensive than selling items in person. All these add up to increased costs that make it harder to offer discounts.



[1] https://sherwood.news/business/retail-shrinking-sale-discounts-markdowns/



Easy solution (Score:2)

by penguinoid ( 724646 )

The average discount offered by online retailers in the US is down to 36% so far this year

Fulfilling online orders is also generally more expensive than selling items in person.

Easy solution, offer better than 36% discount selling in person. They can then use the savings from some people buying in person instead of online, to subsidize their online discounts.

Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

by Anonymous Coward

There is no 36% discount. This is a phony number based on a "discount" from an artificially inflated price.

Re: (Score:2)

by smooth wombat ( 796938 )

Easy solution, offer better than 36% discount selling in person.

But that would mean going back to the office (for some) and we can't have that.

I would like to see how much it costs to sell something online compared to having a brick and mortar store. I much prefer a store because I get immediate feedback on what I'm buying. No waiting around for days and hoping a package arrives, only to find the product isn't what I want then having to repackage it and get it sent out. However, with malls closi

Re: (Score:1)

by cayenne8 ( 626475 )

Most of the time, the best discount I can get is to either have the site pay my sales tax (usually using their store card)...or the few sites out there that still don't charge sales tax.

On large purchases this can be significant...since where I live sales tax is almost 10%....

Getting stingier what? (Score:2)

by JamesTRexx ( 675890 )

And who is giving it?

Numerator? (Score:3)

by bill_mcgonigle ( 4333 ) *

36% off what?

Are they talking "MSRP"?

That's a purely fictional number, if that's what they mean.

Dollar goes down, prices go up.

That's what happens when they shift the money press into Ludicrous Mode.

Re: (Score:2)

by codebase7 ( 9682010 )

Only if you believe in the BS that those in charge have been spouting for decades.

Here's a thought for your KISS brain to workout: If the dollar has been dropping for decades due to money printing, why is the dollar still the world's reserve currency? By your definition, the constant money printing would mean any foreign national holding dollars would be constantly losing their money to a hostile banking system actively exploiting them.

'discount' ? Like the one from MSRP? (Score:2)

by Fly Swatter ( 30498 )

That's all smoke and mirrors, because calling it fraud would be too harsh legally.

It's nice to not have to price shop to stay within your budget, but that isn't me.

Knowing the market value of what you are buying is on the buyer, if you get fooled by a fake discount that's on you.

The good days of actual low prices online was back in the early '00s when Amazon was flooding the market with old and discontinued stock that the standard retailers simply didn't want. I got a bunch of hand tools and very g

Amazon (Score:2)

by Going_Digital ( 1485615 )

So many people think Amazon has the best prices, they stopped looking elsewhere, so Amazon have raise do their prices, taking advantage of the perceived value. I am not one of those, Amazon is my last port of call, as there are almost always batter options. The brainwashed public, keep handing their money to Jeff.

Stop shopping so much on line (Score:2)

by RitchCraft ( 6454710 )

I went back to purchasing most of my items locally. If I can't find something locally I go to the manufacturer's web site, not Amazon. In fact, most well known brands don't even bother selling on the Asian flea market any longer. I recently needed a nice Ridgid commercial 4 gallon shop vac. None of the retailers in my area stock Ridgid. Went to the manufacturer's web site, searched through their list of retailers, and got it for $85. Sure Amazon has a few Ridgid products but sold by third party extortionist

<Knghtbrd> Okay, you people have started talking about BSDM applications of
network hardware... I think I'll run off and do something useful
and Debianish and stay OUT of this one...
<Knghtbrd> (for a change)