Amazon - A Book Store That Sells Some Other Stuff Too
by tkerodd - Written: Aug 29 '01
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The Bottom Line
For book readers, Amazon is THE place to shop online.
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When you are talking about shopping online, one of the first sites mentioned is almost always Amazon.com. This site has built a reputation for being one of the first superstores on the information superhighway. Amazon originally started as a source for books online, touting themselves as offering “Earth’s Biggest Selection.” They had some memorable radio commercials portraying the company trying to find a location large enough to hold their entire inventory. As time passed, Amazon began to expand beyond the role of bookseller, adding a number of other product lines to the site. Amazon has truly become a one-stop source for the Internet shopper.
The product selection at Amazon is quite impressive, and allows the site to offer something for every shopper. The book section is, in my opinion, the most comprehensive part of the site. You can find almost any book you would ever hope to find. Other stores under the Amazon umbrella cover such categories as music, electronics, home improvement, health and beauty aids, and toys. Amazon has used partnerships with other retailers to help boost their selection. The health and beauty section comes from an agreement with Drugstore.com. Amazon works with Toys-R-Us to maintain their toyshop, which gives them a large network of stores and inventory to draw from. Amazon was one of the first online stores to forge partnerships with other retailers, a trend that should continue as the Internet continues to grow.
The Amazon website is one of the best and most organized web stores going. When you log on, you are able to see the tabs for the various product groups lined up across the top of the screen. Along the side of the page, there are subcategories within each store, which will help the user “drill down” to the level they need to find their desired product. These side menus are great if you are simply browsing, as they give the customer a good look at what Amazon has to offer. If you know exactly what you are looking for, you will be pleased with the search engine that Amazon has on the site. The engine on Amazon is one of the best I have found on any online store. You will almost always find that the engine will pick up your desired item. Once your search is complete, Amazon will let you arrange your results in several ways; you can list them alphabetically, by lowest price, by highest price, or many other ways. The engine will also allow you to search within a category – for example, you can search for “Dr. Seuss” under Children’s Books. Once you find the product you wish to examine, Amazon gives a nice description of the item, along with customer reviews. These can be very helpful if you are choosing between several items. The layout for the product pages is very nice, easy to read, and is not too busy. The viewer will find the site easy on the eyes. Most products have a picture for reference, although there are some that do not.
What about the prices? One of the draws of Internet shopping is supposed to be the price savings that the consumer can find online. Like most other sites, Amazon gets mixed reviews in this area. I have found that they have lower prices on some of the more common items, while the harder-to-find items carry a higher price. The bestsellers are always marked 40% off of the retail price, which can equal nice savings. In all stores, Amazon offers a clearance section. This is where you can find last year’s models, or books from several years ago, offered at discount prices. I have found home audio speakers at great prices in the Electronics section, simply because the company had introduced a new model line. The prices across the board would be less if you did not have to add the shipping fees. I have found that Amazon has pretty much set the standard for shipping costs, but that if you order multiple items your net shipping cost is not as bad. If you were only ordering one book or compact disc, the shipping cost would be around four dollars, which would minimize your savings. Add more items and your shipping cost would only increase by about seventy-five cents per item. When buying single items, I have found that my local brick and mortar warehouse store is often less than the cost of the product and the shipping.
Amazon gives the customer a smooth ordering process. Once you add the desired item to your shopping cart, you can go directly to checkout. Enter your credit card number (or choose the option to send them a check), choose a shipping address, and your order is complete. For regular customers, you can set up a “one-click” ordering option. This will allow you to choose your item, and immediately place your order. This option requires that you use the same credit card and shipping information each time you order. The shipping options are the same as most other site. Amazon uses UPS for their shipping, and offers Second Day, Third Day, and Ground shipping options. If you are ordering multiple items, you can choose to have the items shipped together to save money on the fees; my experience is that Amazon will often go ahead and ship them separate at no extra cost if the items come from different locations.
When shopping online, customer service can be a big deal. If there is a problem with your order, you want to feel like more than just another number in the system. Amazon has worked to ensure that their customer service, both online and via telephone, takes care of the customer. Once registered, you can pull up your entire order history at any time. You can also check your order status through the site, without having to go to UPS – Amazon does that for you. If you require telephone service, the Amazon folks are very helpful, even calling you back if necessary. I have been very pleased with all aspects of the Amazon customer service department.
In summary, I think Amazon is a tremendous website, especially for the bookworm. They have a massive book selection and a good selection of other items as well. The company is dependable; this is not one of the dot-coms that are here today and gone tomorrow. The site makes it easy to find what you want, place your order, and follow the progress from their warehouse to your front door. Some of the pricing is pretty good, and all of your orders will save you a trip to the store. This is one of my favorite sites, whether I am buying or browsing. When you are shopping for a gift, or for yourself, Amazon is the one-stop shop you need.
Recommended:
Yes
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