"Buy local" they say...

[BigRed]

Everyone's always pleading that we should be using local retailers because if we don't they will go out of business. Sure why not...oh wait...I will tell you why not. I went looking for an oil filter today. The cheapest place where I could find it was at a Yamaha dealer for a Honda filter. They wanted $13.99. The K&N filter was priced as $15.99 and $16.99 respectively at two local auto parts stores. I came home and went on Amazon. I can get that same K&N filter for under $11 with free two day shipping.

Tell me, why in my right mind would I ever again go to a local store to buy a filter? I would have to burn my time and my gas and by the time I got it home that filter would have probably cost me $20.

This was just a stupid little filter but the same is true for tens of thousands of items. Unless you need something right away, shopping local just doesn't make sense financially. Sad but true.

[HwyRider]

Amazon is the biggest store in the world and with Prime it's free 2 day shipping on anything fulfilled by Amazon plus free video rentals.

[cnc]

Well, you saved $2 on an oil filter, can't wait to see how much you save on labour or a new bike should you need to buy them on line as the local guy has closed up shop.
Not being a smart ass, just I see things differently. I do my own work and so the dealer gets noting from me there, but it sure is nice knowing he is there and I can look at bikes, chew the fat etc with them, so I buy my oil, filters, tires from them all the time and hope that this helps him keep his doors open.

[BigRed]

I saved more than $2. Clearly there are some things that are best bought locally but a majority of things are a lot less expensive on line. I don't know about you but I don't have a money tree in my back yard. Every penny I can I save.

[Ggben]

Around here most retailers seem to think because they are the only game in town that you have no choice. Buy what they sell not what you want. I gave up on local a long time ago and buy what I want from were ever, sometimes local, internet or next town over.

[schoeney]

I will always give my dealer a chance to match or get close to internet price. They usually do. I want them around.

[Jeffsmountainauto]

My local Napa franchise carries the k&n for about the same price as Amazon and they will gladly price match. Owning a small local business, I understand that locals are where I make my money. They pay my bills. So I buy local unless I cannot get something local. Keeping local people employed keeps me employed.

We had a huge fire here a few years ago. No lives were lost, but many people lost their homes. Whole housing projects were destroyed. The only upside I could see to it was that the local economy would finally get a break with all of the construction that would need to be done. This area was hurting bad like so many other places in America due to the housing market crash and pretty much zero construction going on. So, some outside money from the insurance companies could have benefited everyone. I was displeased, however, to see that most of the construction companies that were working on those areas that were burned were from the bay area and not the foothills. People are really out of touch with their local community when they don't take these things into consideration.

Another interesting thing to consider. All of my construction customers are driving to the bay area for work, because they can't find any work here. The bay area is building because they have money. How much of that money did others, that live and work in my area, send to the bay area by not shopping locally and what would the effect have been if they didn't. I'm not saying anyone should accept getting screwed because they feel they have to buy local, but we should consider supporting good local businesses. They employ our friends, family, and neighbors.

[HwyRider]

Not in MA. When they did the BigDig it was suppose to add thousands of local jobs. The unfortunate thing is it did generate thousands of jobs that went to whomever you knew that was runnning the project and very few if any went local.

Most local shops in MA don't want to sit and chew the fat. Time is money to them and they're not interested in people in general just their dollars.

[Jeffsmountainauto]

The other bad thing about outside contractors coming in to your area to work is that they don't usually care about customer satisfaction. They will be long gone after the job is done. Locals rely on word of mouth referrals. At least in small communities like mine. Outsiders won't have to worry about bumping into you at the grocery store if they have done a bad job, and bad work and bad products aren't worth any discounts you might get.

[Kawhead]

Originally Posted by cnc

Well, you saved $2 on an oil filter, can't wait to see how much you save on labour or a new bike should you need to buy them on line as the local guy has closed up shop.
Not being a smart ass, just I see things differently. I do my own work and so the dealer gets noting from me there, but it sure is nice knowing he is there and I can look at bikes, chew the fat etc with them, so I buy my oil, filters, tires from them all the time and hope that this helps him keep his doors open.

Yes, but now what of the poor Amazon man if we quit buying from him now?
If we choose now to deny him patronage, what will become his fate?
Dose he not deserve, equally, the opportunity for success?
If you prick him, does he not bleed?
if you tickle him, does he not laugh?
If you poison him, will he not die?
And if you wrong he, shall he not revenge?

Permit Amazon's death?
I----THINK----NOT!!!!!!

I'll stop shopping Ebay and Amazon when you pry my keyboard from my cold dead fingers you damned dirty Ape!

[Monkeyman]

I usually use the 10% rule. If the local shop can get within 10% of the online (or other) price, I'll buy local. I let them know this up front. If they can't come close, they don't get my business. For lesser priced items (generally under $40 or so), I just buy local. Service is worth something, too, depending on the item and my level of expertise in the product.

[kmaysob]

heres my take on the local shops and dealer ships,

local shop one: why would you buy anything other than a power commander? the rest is junk. i bet in a year the tfi will no longer be around.

shop two:hang on a minute will ya? 20 minutes later, no we dont carry that

dealership 1 (the better of the bunch) : walk in the door, hey wanna trade that thing in? me: nope, just here for parts. dealer: well if you trade it in it wont be breaking down on you like that one does. ( i was there for a drive shaft boot)

dealer 2: back when i had my nighthawk, i needed a fork seal. sure, we can order that in for you. the part is $19.99 plus $10 shipping. ( i ordered online for under $20.

so there you have it, thats why i rarely support local.

[schoeney]

If you don't care if your local dealer stays open...buy somewhere else. Pretty simple.

[kmaysob]

there are far too many bike shops in my area. several of the " hahahah we only work on/ carry parts for real bikes"

[Kawhead]

Originally Posted by schoeney

If you don't care if your local dealer stays open...buy somewhere else. Pretty simple.

That's one of the few sentiments in life that I would deem as fair, and I imagine the local dealer cares as much about my viability as I care about his. Pretty simple indeed.


Have you hugged your local dealer today?