Ask HN: Will Amazon ever replace your local convenience store?

2 points by fil_a_del_fee_a 8 years ago | 3 comments

Will Amazon ever replace your local convenience store? By convenience store I am referring to:

1. your local grocery store (US urban areas call them bodegas) 2. your local independently owned gas station (Sunoco, BP, etc...) 3. your local pharmacy (CVS, Joe's Pharmacy, etc...)

Places where you can buy gas, candy, smokes, odds and ends items that you don't feel like going to a big box store.

The reason this question came up is because my friend works a job where the company he works for purchases bulk cell phone accessories from China, (cases, chargers, adaptors, cables, etc...) and sells them to convenience stores (to resell to their customers) at a markup. I wrote down in my notes "Amazon will never replace the convenience store". I hate saying the word never... Thoughts?

Edit: A word in title

justrudd 8 years ago |

For me, probably not. My parents live a few hours from me. When I drive, I have to stop and get gas. Nine times out of ten, I go in and get a soda and something to snack on for the remainder of the trip.

Also - there are times that I'm craving a certain flavor of food or drink. I'll just walk across the street to my CVS and get it.

And finally, I was traveling recently by plane. I didn't have travel sizes of toiletries. Walked across the street and got them. It was a weekend trip. Didn't want to check luggage.

In all 3 cases, they are spur of the moment or "oh shit" moments.

Powerofmene 8 years ago |

I do not believe for for a couple of reasons:

1. Even with Prime you are looking at a two day delivery and in the world of Amazon, two day is not always two days.

2. We are a NOW society. We are not willing to wait for something to arrive. There is a reason the stores you reference are called convenience stores. In short, people want what they want when they want it.

3. Sometimes you NEED something now; a missing ingredient, a drink, a loaf of bread. Sometimes need overrides price.

4. The busier we get in life the less a number of us plan ahead in order to wait for delivery of something. It is difficult, even for the planners to remember everything.

5. Life is just that, life. It throws us curve balls and even the best laid plans often go astray. Sometimes you just have to pivot.

6. We are creatures of habit.

7. Not all areas are served by Amazon in a timely fashion. A large portion of the population still resides in areas that are rural without the benefit of Prime shipping, etc.

twobyfour 8 years ago |

1) I hope not.

2) Not all bodegas are groceries (some are newsstands or delis), and the ones that are groceries tend to supplement rather than replacing a full-size grocery.

3) Even if I liked Amazon, it won't replace the bodega until I can get a sandwich or roll of paper towels delivered at 2am in the amount of time it takes to walk downstairs, around the corner, and back. Or until it will deliver me a stick of gum or energy bar on 30 seconds notice during the 3 block walk between the subway and the building where I'm having a meeting or date.