What can you actually try out in stores lol?

I can't think of a single thing I'd need to " try out " in a retail store before buying. Computers? The only thing that matters about computers is their specs, which are online. You can view the case online. Clothing? They all come with free shipping return so if you don't like it when it comes you can return for free for full refund or new size. There's maybe a handful of things that actually physically checking out the product in store would have any benefits.

Seriously, the real discussion here is how much of a huge fish you are for wasting ridiculous amounts of time and energy to go into retail stores to physically look at products.

Perhaps the big box stores the OP refers to will be better at figuring out a strategy to combat progress than all the mom & pop stores they cannibalized did. But I doubt it.

The market is changing, but the way of doing business is sticky, there will be a transition phase eventually where products with high stocking/stockout costs will be sold exclusively online with a few well placed showrooms where you can test out the products. This isn't going to happen anytime soon though.

It's not unethical, you don't own a store owner anything by visiting his store. You are trying to satisfy a need and trying to maximuse your utility function. If money is a big deal to you, obviously you will reach higher utility by finding the cheapest vendor. Nothing wrong with that.

I'd even encourage it, since in a lot of markets customers are getting ripped off because they just don't know the prices and are lazy.

Stupid example but works well: there's a nice little central place in my town where there are about 30 pubs in one big place. Prices of real estate shouldn't vary each other since they are all within 500ish feet of eachother. Prices of beer vary from 1.40€ and 2.30€(for the same beer) and people don't seem to give a ****. The same thing exists in basicly everything. Compare your local stores offering the same **** and you'll be shocked .

^ terrible comparison.

People choose which place to drink based on a lot more than just alcohol, you raging drunk. Music, decor, the party goers that attend there. In fact that's the entire reason people go to bars. If they just wanted cheap alcohol, they'd go to the liquor store. Prices are based on the popularity of the bar brocheck.

Clothing would be an obvious answer.

This is also apparently a problem with tablets. People want to play with them first to see which they like. Specs are not really useful as the vast majority of the population has no idea what kind of performance you get from different specs -- they need to actually try it and see if it performs to their liking.

I would also imagine TVs and speakers would also be high on the list. People want to see the imagine quality and hear the sound quality. They want the expert opinion on which items are best for various uses and which components to match.

Lol.

If they know what customers are doing, they need to change their price structure to account for these things. If they don't they will go out of business. There are ton of pointless, meddling B+M shops nowadays. It's just business version of darwinism. Adjust or die.

It's definitely not stealing. You have NO obligation to buy. Ethics is another issue but its not like you are not allowed to do these things. They can start charging people to try out things in the future if things get that bad. Honestly, many B+M stores should be happy to have customers in the store and there is always a chance the customer sees something else that they like which they could buy.

While you have no obligation to buy you do have an obligation to at least be in the market -- here you have zero intention of buying.

I should have mentioned it's a university town and so pretty much every bar is the ****ing same. And obviously the cheapest are the most popular bars too, since the poor students do take notice.

I get your point though. Since it's summer though 90% of customers sit outside (and I was thinking of that) and there's literally zero difference between the pubs if you're sitting outside.

If I shop at a place for something where an expert spends significant time with me helping to choose the right product, then typically I'll purchase the item there.

However, most B&M's are staffed by morans who often know less about the product than many customers. There is no difference if I walk in on my own and check something out or if I don't. Either way the B&M is there and has fixed costs. I've cost them nothing extra by walking in and looking at something.

That's ridiculous. If miraculously the price is lower than online you may buy it. Even if that chance is 0.0001%--its not zero. I know most of the time things online are cheaper but if I were to find that in person price is comparable (+ 5% or so of the price) depending on how large the purchase is I would definitely buy it. Even though I shouldn't be that price sensitive on many things, I don't mind a bargin.

I've definitely looked at TVs at the store and then purchased it online. The BB guys weren't even that helpful when I was looking and didn't really know advanced questions. They would have had no issues raping me with their ridiculously priced wires, and other accessories that I know they do to many uniformed customers. I have no issue, getting things for a huge discount online. I do buy things at BB--but only certain things where I know they aren't really raping me.

I don't think many store owners would agree to that. I'm sure a ton of people buy **** while when they entered the store they had zero intention of buying anything. I know I do.

The business operates knowing the risk of competitors. They can either develop strategies to combat competitors, leave the market by choice, or leave by going broke. As a consumer you should make the best decision for yourself every time.

It doesn't matter if you touch it or fondle it or whatever, you entering a store to feel up the computers doesn't result in any moral or ethical obligation for you to buy from that store.

If those stores aren't willing to meet online vendor's prices (or offer them through their own online site) then oh well, guess they die. As a consumer, how does it matter in the slightest to me which store is thriving and which one is succeeding? The thriving one will hire and the dying one will fire. Such is the economics of capitalism.

The businesses try to gouge me for as much money as possible and I try to gouge them by finding ways to get the item I want for the best possible price.

So the richer students want a more secluded place and pay for the privilege with higher alcohol prices. The bar owner wants a higher end customer and prices his/her drinks accordingly. Free market at work.

I never even go to stores to try **** out first.

You're not costing them money, you're coming into their store which is a big thing. If they can't get you to buy anything that is sort of their problem. I think pretty soon stores will have to be happy to at least have foot traffic and will need to do better to get people like you to spend money on something when you're there. I'll allow it.