Death of Australian department stores.

Discussion in 'Markets & Economies' started by leo25, Aug 30, 2019.

  1. Jislizard

    Jislizard Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Even Australian online stores struggle to beat overseas prices. Very often it looks like they just order online from the US and then sell the same items in their store.

    I can buy books online from England for cheaper than I can buy them in stores, this I think has something to do with regulations which prevent discounting books, to give Australian authors a chance to compete against international authors, or something like that.

    I bought a set of grab handles for my Jeep online from the USA for $44 + postage. The same brand/make/model were for sale from an Australian website for $88 + postage (which was about the same as posting from the USA), this was back in 2012 so it is not like online shopping was a new thing, the Australian store must have known that they could be bought cheaper from overseas and just as conveniently, but with a slightly longer wait.

    I was looking for a replacement fridge, my wife went through all the makes and models online until she found one with a good rating that she liked. But then we went to every appliance store we could find and they didn't have it in stock and they weren't ever going to get it in stock. Nothing available online from Australia either. One sales person told us that in order for them to buy a new range they had to order enough to fill a shipping container, about 24, and if they didn't think they would be able to sell all 24 (or if they competed with the ones they already had on the floor!) then they wouldn't get them in.

    If Australia had a larger population then they would be able to have more of a range but having old stock on the floor when a new model comes out is just wasting money.

    America can afford to produce a much bigger range and can bulk order to reduce prices, very tough for Australia to compete.
     
  2. leo25

    leo25 Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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  3. Oddjob

    Oddjob Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    So either Allegro Funds who bought Harris Scarfe less than 30 days ago has NFI re business and finance or had a plan to buy and break up asap as there is financial benefit for Allegro in doing so (ie maybe tax write-off's that can be used in the wider Allegro entity??)....regardless of impact on Harris Scarfe staff and creditors.

    Whilst Harris Scarfe has been bought and sold several times in the past inc to another Australia private equity firm, Allegro's actions reaffirm my view re providing financial services to companies owned by private equity firms....DON'T !
     
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  4. TreasureHunter

    TreasureHunter Well-Known Member

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    I like trying new shoes on. Sadly, many of the shoe stores I used to go to have closed down in recent years.

    It's nuts: now I have to order my shoes online! And that's a process I hate. If anything bothers me, I have to ship it back, pay for the return shipment and will only get my money back in a matter of weeks. :mad:

    ...then order another shoe to see if that's good. Obviously you'll have to be very lucky to find a perfect fit online. Even if you know the brand well. :(

    The online stores have vastly better variety, so in physical stores only a handful of less interesting models are available. And they're usually more expensive. :(

    ecommerce is not always a good think. I myself dislike online banking (unreliable, "if you don't hold it, you don't own it") and prefer buying clothes and watches offline. Yet again, a watch looks a heck-of-a-lot better on photos than in real life. Once you see it, you might want to return it... :mad:

    Next step: ordering food online. Disgusting. You won't be able to test the softness of lemons, mangos... no, you can't see whether they're ripe, small or whether the apples were sprayed on to seem shiny... Regardless, they're all artificially ripened on the outside.

    Some people are already buying food online... but for some reason it's not popular... YET o_O

    This is where we're headed. :confused:
     
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  5. alor

    alor Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    we use apps to order by mobile phone then walk to the food court to eat our food.
    just flash your order number to collect food
    +ve no need to wait too long
    +ve get discounted price

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 11, 2019
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  6. TreasureHunter

    TreasureHunter Well-Known Member

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    ^
    Yes, I do have to use them in fast food restaurants sometimes. It's terrible, they told me ALL ORDERS are processed through those machines.

    Masses of people will become chipped cattle on an Orwellian digital farm where the'll pay even for breathing with their implanted chips.

    They'll be all "in debt" and will literally work their life years away just to be allowed to live.

    Which makes me think... has anyone seen this movie: "In Time"? I didn't, but someone suggested to me (we were talking about global debt and the debasement of currencies and that lady told me: in the future, people will pay with their time, because the situation is so bad).

    Time slavery. You pay with your time. Isn't that already happening, in a way? It's called EMPLOYMENT and you get to work 8 hours a day. :D

     
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  7. dragafem

    dragafem Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    I liked that movie a lot.
     
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  8. mmm....shiney!

    mmm....shiney! Administrator Staff Member Silver Stacker

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    Dystopian movies are so formulaic. Snore.
     
  9. alor

    alor Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    everyone has their invisible time out
    Enoch has one with that ∞ symbol
     
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  10. sgbuyer

    sgbuyer Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    I've a contact for a HN sales person that I bought my home appliances about 2 years ago. He advises me what brand to buy and gives me a special discount that is lower than the retail price. This saves me a lot of time and I get from him even if I can find a lower price from an Internet only retailer. So far, all the appliances he recommended didn't need servicing. This in itself saves me a lot of time and headaches (yes, me wife is not into appliances and I don't have the time nor interest to research on appliances), and not to mention money.
     
  11. Court Jester

    Court Jester Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    My takeaway from this is wtf are you doing buying a $2600 beirfcase
     
  12. Ipv6Ready

    Ipv6Ready Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Bought a pair of shoes for $3100 last week as early xmas present, lol.
    My motto in life at 47... No point living an average life to die with XYZ in assets
     
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  13. 66rounds

    66rounds Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Some people like to enjoy life and not just accumulate wealth that can't be taken to the grave.
     
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  14. Court Jester

    Court Jester Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Hookers and a large pile of blow is a way to enjoy $2600 not new briefcase I would say
     
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  15. 66rounds

    66rounds Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    I disagree, a rental car with fresh rear tyres and a few boxes of .308 would be my choice.
     
  16. Ipv6Ready

    Ipv6Ready Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    LOL the briefcase will last a lifetime..... escorts and blow hmm $2600 doesn't go very long
     
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  17. Court Jester

    Court Jester Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    Not won't last long but will be more fun than can be had with a briefcase
     
  18. wrcmad

    wrcmad Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    100% agree.
    I am only a couple of years behind you, and realised this about 10 years ago.
    Moved from the shyte-hole city to paradise, so I'm on holidays all the time. Spend all excess funds on travel. Don't regret it for a second. :)
    Others I know spend the years stashing everything away for "later". What boring, wage-slave lives they lead, in comparison.
    I reckon since I saw the light, my life as been richer and more rewarding than I could have imagined.
     
  19. sgbuyer

    sgbuyer Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    My dad passed me his leather brief case 25 years ago. It was at least 20 years old at that time. I used it a couple times only and found it too heavy (it weighed like 2kg even when empty), and changed to a backpack. That was 20 years ago before backpacks became fashionable for work. At that time, there were only sports and mountaineering backpacks to buy in Singapore so I was really out of fashion by carrying my sports backpack to work meetings.

    Over the last 20 years, I changed work backpack 4 times. The nylon lasts a long time.

    Today, I carry my baby backpack more than often than my work backpack.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2019
  20. Court Jester

    Court Jester Well-Known Member Silver Stacker

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    fuk me I didnt know we haf Mark Zucerberg in the forums
     

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