And now, Harvey Norman et al. will complain about it again
He'll be out there campaigning for the government to come to the rescue of the "poor little Aussie Battler retailer" again. And it will backfire, again.
If I can buy a book from The Book Depository cheaper than I can by it from a store in my local shopping centre, why wouldn't I? Give me one reason why I should spend more to buy the latest game from Harvey Norman when I can by it online through Steam for less... and have it pre-loaded on my machine ready to go on day one. I haven't been into a chain music store in years, for the same reasons.*
I'm sorry if you think there's some god-given right for you to have my money, but it's just not so. We live in a global community now, and if you, the Aussie retailer, can't bargain a better price to be competitive, then your problem is not with me, the consumer, the problem is with your suppliers and distributors and your business model.
*I understand that some boutique retails provide more than just a price benefit, and I'm willing to support independent retailers (e.g. book stores, music stores) when I'm looking for more than just the best price on a popular item.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
