I remember our first computer, it was one of the coolest things we had purchased (second only to our first car, and our first home theater system). It became even more wondrous when we got dial up and had access to the AMAZING SUPER INFORMATION HIGHWAY called the Internet. Ahhhh the things you could do, research anything you wanted/needed, get news from across the world and…playing games (my personal favorite, ssshhhh don’t tell anyone I am a recovering EQ and WOW addict). The evolution of the computer and the internet also brought along an old idea with a fresh new spin called ONLINE PURCHASING.

Purchasing product(s) online became popular quickly and why not? You can buy almost anything online these days with a couple of mouse clicks in the comfort of your own home. NO taking a shower, NO brushing your teeth, NO getting dressed, NO hop in the car and drive across town. NO pressure from salespeople, NO waiting in line. AMAZING! Sometimes I wonder if the World’s obesity issues could be blamed solely on the very first internet connection.

So you are wondering why I am blogging about buying local vs. online right? I mean with all the information you can get and the convenience of buying that Blu Ray player online in your underwear, why would you drive anywhere to buy anything other than groceries? No brainer right? Do all your purchases online…..WRONG! While all of this seems so easy and convenient how do you really know you are making the right decision? There are many things you should really think about before making those mouse clicks.

Buying local means so many things for any community (based upon 100′s of hours of research…).
• Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses and further strengthens the economic base of the community.
• More tax dollars are retained for the state which helps support the local schools and other programs that are essential in any community.
• Small local businesses are the largest employer nationally and in most communities, supporting local business help generate more jobs in the community.
• Local businesses often hire people with a better understanding of the products they are selling and take more time to get to know the customer, this helps create better customer service by having “experts” on staff to help you..
• Local Businesses select products based on their own interests and the needs of their local customers, this helps gives a better range of products to choose from.

My personal feelings (based upon a lifetime of experiences in the stereo industry…):
• Do you get to touch, smell and listen to things while you are shopping online? Let’s take speakers for example. I liken speakers to food: some like liver and some do not (YUCK) You can spend many hours online and read reviews but the speaker is an item you make the personal connection with and you will never really know if it is the right choice for you until you have actually listened to them in person.
• How do you really know what product is the right choice for you? Tell me, how many times when you were getting ready to click the buy button did some voice come from your computer to ask you how big your room is? Did the room open up into other rooms? How high were the ceilings? Are you mainly going to listen to music or are you going for that full 7.1 surround sound? Too many people make a choice based upon online reviews, or a friends “expert” advice. People working in a local business are generally the true experts and will ask you those questions to ensure you get what you the right product.
• When you do buy something online what happens when you are not happy with the way it sounds, or have issues setting it up? Does that cheap online seller have customer support to walk you through over the phone how to calibrate that receiver, reset the processor or even come out to your house to make sure it was hooked up correctly? We can and often do!
• What happens if your product breaks under the warranty period? Does the place you purchased the product online take care of the shipping? (We do). Will they get you a replacement box to send it back to them because you threw it out? (We do). How long will you be out of commission if it cannot be repaired right away? (On most electronics we will give the customer a loaner to use until their product is back from being repaired, BEAT THAT MR. ONLINE RETAILER). Will you be the one making the call to the manufacturer if you are not happy with these repairs or was not done timely? (We stand by and support the purchase by making those calls to the manufacturer).
• What happens after a couple of months of jamming on your speakers and you start wishing you had bought the speakers one step higher? Sell them on Craigslist and go buy new speakers? No need if you bought them in our store. We actually have a trade up program where if a client buys a set of speakers and decides later to upgrade we can accommodate them by giving them full value back on what they paid towards their upgrade. There is fine print and limitations to this program, but this is something that no one else in our area does and it is one of the best programs I can think of to generate more business and to reward a customer for their loyalty.

I could go on and on. The point to all of this is that there are a great many reasons why a local business is a better choice than shopping online. The next time you get online to look for something to purchase, instead look for a local business in your community that sells what you are looking for. When it all comes down to it, don’t you deserve to get all the information you need to ensure you are making the right purchasing decision. You may just wish to ask yourself what does buying local vs. online mean to you.

In a CNN.com article written just this past week, Mr. Bob Greene wrote that the latest real threat to brick and mortar stores is the concept of “showrooming.”  This term alludes to the idea that a potential customer of a retail store can go into that store, browse for items that they like, experience the product, etc. and then using the information they discovered at that store go online and order the product from an on line site cheaper and have it shipped directly to their home.  The online reseller does not have the typical overhead of the brick and mortar store; i.e. fewer or possibly no other employees besides the owners themselves.  No “showroom” to speak of, lower rent or mortgage (who needs a visible location if your business is going to be online?) and less advertising/marketing dollars spent to get that customer to find them.  All of these advantages can lead to a lower retail mark up, faster inventory turns thus the ability to carry more inventory to ship at any time which of course can equate to more cash on hand.  Sounds like the obvious way to go doesn’t it?  Well, not so fast.

What gets missed in all of this are the advantages that a brick and mortar store still has.  Let’s say you are purchasing a home theater system.  You might want to see what options are available to you.  Do you know whether a 65″ or a 55″ flat panel would work better in your home?  Do you know where the equipment is going to be located?  Do you like the idea of hiding the equipment away in a closet so all you see is the television and speakers?  Do you like the idea of having speakers hidden inside a wall or is sound quality important to you and you just don’t like the idea of compromising sound for aesthetics?  And speaking of sound quality; how are you going to know what a pair of loudspeakers are going to sound like in your home by gathering information from the internet?

And most importantly, there are some things that are just too important to risk by (potentially) saving a few bucks.  Something that takes as much time and investment as a home theater system can really benefit by having somebody install, calibrate and program the electronics and speaker system for the room they are going to be installed into. 

In the long run, who are the ones who really lose out?  Well, we all probably do.  Without purchasing from your local vendors, your money does not go to help the community you live in.  There’s no sales tax collected to help the state run its schools or services.  There’s no money getting to the individual workers and their families.  

But don’t get me wrong; this is not a one way street.  The brick and mortar stores can not just sit back and preach about the virtues of shopping (buying) from local vendors and assume everyone will do so just out of sheer guilt.  It is imperative that local vendors keep giving their prospective customers good reasons why they should support them over the online competitors.  Better products, better service, better trained personnel are all components that can add up to a better experience for their customers.  And if customers are getting a better experience then it is likely they will in turn tell those that they encounter about their better experience as well. 

It is in this way that traditional “brick and mortar” stores can and do stay open.  Without it, then they will in fact simply become another place where one can “showroom” to see what they want to order online. 

Just ask Circuit City.

I remember it well. It was the summer of 1977. My brother who was five years older than I was had left Boise for Army basic training in New Jersey.. He left behind his stereo system. And of course I took it upon myself to adopt it for the next several months while he was away. A Marantz 1120 integrated amplifier, a Pioneer turntable with a Ortofon cartridge and a pair of BIC Formula Six loudspeakers kept calling out to me, tempting me to play with her tonearm, her volume control and selector knobs knowing good and well that I had not received permission from her rightful owner. Damn her; she knew I could only hold out for so long. In fact, “so long” lasted about a total fo two hours before I was busy pulling out vinyl after vinyl being Tom Cruise in “Risky Business” WAY before Tom Cruise was even……well, Tom Cruise. Assisted by the fact that both my parents worked full time out of the house, this fourteen year old boy went nuts with the volume control of the Marantz 1120 and the unreal efficiency of the BIC loudspeakers (look out Klipsch; there was a new high output decible competitor) and it was then that I was hooked. I couldn’t believe the clarity, the bass that resonated through my body, the amazing tonal quality. I had never heard Steely Dan quite that way before. The vocal harmonies on America’s “Sister Golden Hair Surprise” were heard like never before. Cymbal crashes seemed to go on forever, I could hear the fingers going across the strings of the guitar on Cat Stevens “Wild World.” I was just like a teenager who had seen his first Playboy magazine; filled with excitement while at the same time feeling guilt doing something I knew I wasn’t supposed to do.
That experience led to the purchase of my first piece of stereo equipment that same summer. Mowing as many yards as possible I was able to purchase a Nikko integrated amplifier by the end of the summer. My next purchase was an Onkyo CP-1010A turntable and a Grado phono cartridge from a really tall, hippy lookin’ guy at a store on the corner of Orchard and Emerald called……..The Stereo Shoppe. That rendevous led to a pair of Polk Audio Monitor 7 loudspeakers that I received as a Christmas gift my junior year of high school. Alas, I had my own stereo system and I was convinced that there was nobody cooler than I was; well at least in the world of audio anyway.
Thirty five years have passed since that first encounter with my brothers stereo system. And sometimes I wonder what might have happened if I had never bothered to push in the power button of that Marantz amplifier, or put a record on the platter of the Pioneer turntable. But I do know that I have no regrets with where that decision has taken me in my life. Not only because of the enjoyment that reproduced music has brought to my life but for all of the relationships it has brought me as well. Coworkers, clients, manufacturers and other sales associates that I have gotten to know over the past thirty five years have shaped me and my life tremendously.
To everyone who has influenced me in my love of this crazy hobby I say “thank you” from the bottom of my heart.
I would really like to know what got YOU hooked? What was your first experience that got you excited enough to want to know how much better music can sound?
One thing is for sure; there’s nothing better than letting music take you away at the end of a day.
Greg Nettles
President
The Stereo Shoppe