I found this sonic tooth brush on Kohl’s website for $135 out the door and $20 in Kohl’s cash with the option of either picking up local in store or having shipped to my house for free and it said one in stock at my local Kohl’s so I decided I would just swing in and pick it up. In the store this tooth brush is 159.99+tax so I take it to the front counter and ask them if they can match their online price because it says I can order online and pick up within an hour in store.

The lady at the register says no I have to order it online and they will have an employee pull it off the shelf and send me an email within an hour when it’s ready to pick up. So I tell the lady it’s not her fault, but that’s silly.

I went across the street to eat dinner while I was waiting for them to pull my order. I then get an email that says sorry, but they are sold out of the product I ordered, but feel free to keep the Kohl’s cash because they didn’t have what I ordered. So now I ordered again and having it shipped to my house.

So instead of just giving me the item for the price they had it on their website for while I was in the store with it in my hand they have now given me $20 Kohl’s cash for the first order, a bonus $5 apology coupon, another $20 Kohl’s cash for the order I placed to ship to my house, the cost of shipping to my house. No wonder these big box places go out of business.

Ok I’m done with my rant

If I'm not severely inconvenience or absolutely need it today, online is where it's at.

I've tried to shop locally but they make it sooooo hard with the incompetence, I'll order and get it in a couple days.

https://www.amazon.com/Sonic-C...ic+Care+Toothbrushes

By “local businesses” i assumed you originally meant a small business. Big box stores feel some hurt by online shopping but since you still bought the product from the company as a whole, its still $ in their pocket, and big box stores are moving much of their PNL Margins to account for online sales anyway. Im sure the profit margin on the tooth brush may have been smaller than your double kohls cash, but they count a sale as a win - especially around Christmas when standard profit margins are off by quite a bit with massive-quantity purchases from manufacturers anyway. Eyes into retail invoicing is ridiculously eye-opening when actual values of cost and profit margins come across the desk. But in the long run, back to where i thought this was going, its no wonder small businesses cant stay afloat when, as OP said, its no wonder even some of the big box stores of yesteryear have sunk.

Its all a numbers game - and customer count is a biiiig factor.

I always try to buy locally weather is is a mom and pop store or box store first. I am finding it harder to find exactly what I am looking for.
Example, I was looking for a pair of Champion shorts before my last cruise. I stopped at several local stores and they did not have the style I was looking for. I spent 2 hours driving to local stores looking. Nothing. I got home,went on Amazon and 5 minutes later they were ordered with 1 day delivery. I live 3 miles from a Amazon distribution center. Best part total was less than $6.00 dollars delivered.

Kohl's is not a local business.

That usually refers to local, family owned store.

Kohl's was a local business for the 20 years I lived in Wisconsin. Max Kohl started out with a corner grocery store in Milwaukee in the 1920s. I would think the people in SE Wisconsin continue to think of it as a local business. It's no longer a mom and pop shop, true.

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:

Kohl's is not a local business.

That is very true, but they do contribute to the local economy. They hire local people to work there. These local employees earn wages and spend money at other local businesses (like pet stores ).

Not as good as a true local business, but every little bit helps.

Kohl's,Target and Penney's are the only department store players in a thirty mile radius of here except for the outlet mall near here. And that place has changed, the outlet no longer has the pricing it did in the past. I don't lump Wal-Mart or Meijer's into this as they cater to a different type of shopping.

Haven't stepped into Penney's in probably ten or more years, Target for grandsons toys, their clothing does nothing for me, I'm in my late 60's. I gravitate to jeans that I can use and abuse and tee shirts, both long and short sleeve.
Kohl's plays the games with sales, Kohl's Cash (I call it Kohl's crack) but if you play their sales right you can get some decent deals on items. And they now accept certain Amazon returns without the need to repackage, drop and go.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

quote:

Originally posted by Jeff Yarchin:

Kohl's is not a local business.

That is very true, but they do contribute to the local economy. They hire local people to work there. These local employees earn wages and spend money at other local businesses (like pet stores ).

Not as good as a true local business, but every little bit helps.

And pay local taxes.

They have to keep one in stock for display purposes and shoplifters. You are trying to throw off the system