Amazon Price Check App offers price comparisons on the go:
So this is not exactly a brand new application, but the current offer that marries up with this app is new, and one you may want to consider using, more on that later.
Back to the war on the high street:
The last thing any high street retail store or chain wants to hear right now, is that a huge online competitor going by the name of Amazon is going to aggressively highlight how retailers current roles as “agents” or “middlemen” of the high street, is not serving the public’s best interest when it comes to value for money!
Shock horror! You can get that thing cheaper online?
We all know this to be true in many cases, but the fact of the matter is that convenience and habit is what make us humans very funny indeed, and we are still more than happy to just get out and do “the shop”, but all this is about to change as we start to seriously alter our buying behaviour.
Two forces at work:
This behavioural change is born out of two major factors:
Technology:
Recent mobile technology has allowed us to utilise applications on the go, and it was only a matter of time before we were all checking online while shopping and putting back that toaster or TV when we can see that a bargain is to be had online.
Economic distress:
Times are damn tough for many right now, so finding a bargain is pretty much the way forward for many people, and if this means altering buying habits by adopting new technology then trust me, if you make it easy to do, and it works the people will follow.
Saving is the new spending:
Yes what you can save on one thing you can spend on another, and Amazon know this all too well.
They have not only just released their cut price tablet the Amazon Kindle Fire, which has aggressively entered the tablet market promising to bring price reductions across the board for the average consumer.
But now they have also brought out a price comparison application that is set to revolutionise the way we shop for good.
With Tesco in the UK saying they have not had a great run of recent, this form the store that was rumoured to process one pound for every ten pounds spent in the UK. The fact is that many retail outlets and chains are on the brink of collapse globally.
Death of the high street:
Are we seeing the slow inevitable death of the high street once and for all?
I fear most for the technology stores initially. You know, the ones you would not be seen dead in when you can get almost everything in them at a considerable discount online.
Then there is the big shed equivalents like Wal-Mart and in the UK Tesco and Asda, now these stores have branched out considerably over the last decade into being much more than your large grocery store, and offer electrical goods, and various other “big ticket” items, Wal-Mart even stocks the Amazon Kindle Fire in the US.
So have Amazon picked a fight with the wrong people? Probably not at this stage.
So back to the Amazon price check app:
As a high street retailer, you would also not want to hear that the online store that has its eyes firmly set on your current customers has just released a price check app. One that offers genuine convenience when comparing what you are buying to their own online prices.
What is more, Amazon, the veritable behemoth of E-commerce are going to give you the tool for free to ensure that you always find the cheapest price by using an application that checks prices in their store when you are out shopping on the high street.
How to use the app?
The app is hugely versatile and will allow you to take photos of the product you want to check, scan the barcode, say its name, or simply search for it, and will then deliver the price in seconds, pretty cool tool.
So in a flash, the application will tell you if you are onto a bargain or not.
Current offer from Amazon:
To show you that Amazon mean business with this app, they are currently offering users the chance to claim rewards for using the app.
On December the 10th if you use the application in-store Amazon will give you a 5% discount capped at $5 on up to 3 eligible products.
This offer is a great way to get new users started with using the technology and will surely mean more people get introduced, and intrigued and carry on using it after the deal is gone….job done as far as Amazon are concerned.
And why is that?
Amazon are masters of cutting out the middle man, and have done this since their inception. Their whole business model is based on this. They have no need for expensive rent other than their huge out of town warehouses which are less in number and also cheaper to run than most supermarkets. No need for huge staff costs beyond the warehouse guys. No need for massive utility bills beyond the huge sheds that they work from.
Amazon can and will compete on price all day long, and will be doing, you mark my words.
Is Amazon going to make life better for all?
Amazon are going to make things cheaper for you, but we have to ask at what actual cost?
Have you used this application or others?
And if so, what do you think of them? And are you worried that smaller retailers may be affected negatively or is it the likes of Wal-Mart and Asda, who will see their existing shoppers going Amazon’s way as a result of this type of technology?
Anthony Munns