These days, it’s easier than ever to buy the things you need – perhaps even easier to buy the things you don’t need. In the age of technological convenience, we have a large number of ways to purchase something. Beyond the classic trip to the store, there is a growing list of methods for purchasing items online. From big box sites like Walmart and Target to the marketplace giant Amazon, logging on to the internet and scrolling through product options is extremely accessible. Grocery delivery services like Peapod or Instacart have even made it possible to order your kitchen necessities online. Digital shopping assistants like the Amazon Echo’s Alexa are also on the rise, which is delightfully convenient for some and disturbingly invasive for others.
Amazon in particular is at the forefront of shopping convenience. Their desire to make the customer’s experience as quick, seamless, and comfortable as possible results in an online platform that was responsible for about 44% of all U.S. e-commerce sales in 2017. That’s almost half!
What’s more, they are now working closely with social media to drive even more sales on their site. In addition to the targeted ads we’ve been seeing on social networks like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, Amazon is starting a new kind of partnership with Snapchat. “Snapchat is building a visual product search feature, codenamed “Eagle,” that delivers users to Amazon’s listings.” Snapchat is trying to work out an affiliate deal with Amazon on the feature, which would allow users to utilize the Snapchat camera to scan barcodes on products and see that product’s page on Amazon. Amazon “already holds a 49% share of initial product searches”, and this new partnership with Snapchat would increase those searches even more.
So what’s the catch? Well, for individuals, these types of innovations certainly make shopping a quicker and more convenient experience. But, there’s about a 50% chance you’ll buy on impulse and end up spending more money than you needed to.
And for communities, these online shopping developments are a total disaster. For every $100 you spend:
- In a local small business, $68 stays in your community.
- At a local branch of a chain store, $43 remains in your community.
- Online, virtually no money stays local.
Shopping locally keeps precious funds in your community that support local jobs and economic health. Plus, when you shop locally, you meet business owners and neighbors and make new human connections. You’ll also reduce your environmental impact, because locally owned business make more local purchases themselves, which require less transportation.
Here at Go2s, we believe stronger communities make happier people. That’s why our platform isn’t designed to send consumers to globally-dominant sellers. In fact, we won’t be sending you to any destination where people try to sell you something. Instead, our platform is designed to help you build and communicate with a strong, trusted network of people you know. Find the people you can rely on, and start something meaningful at www.go2s.com