[MichaelGG]

I guess you're one of the folks that would not pay a premium to simply not deal with ever having to set foot in a Best Buy. Returns? Gotta go to the store. Want a sightly different model (for instance the newer Canon Powershots are a downgrade) - wait for them to get stock. Plus the obnoxiousness of going to those stores.

It's great you like getting out, dealing with retail and advertisements. But I think you aren't representative.

[mattmaroon]

Returns are WAY better at a big box store. Here's the Amazon return process.

1. Go to site, fill out a form to get a shipping label.

2. Print said form. That's pretty much all I use my printer for in 2015. I even upgraded to a wireless one so I don't have to plug my damn laptop into it every time I want to return something.

3. I probably threw away the Amazon box. Gotta dig up a suitable one from the pile of spares I have in the attic just for returning stuff to Amazon.

4. Print packing slip, insert in box.

5. Gotta bust out the old packing tape. You know that stuff always comes out of the little guides on the side no matter how careful you were, so you have to unstick it. Do so while seething in rage that nobody has yet invented packing tape that doesn't stick to itself. Maybe a ratcheting roll that can't reverse?

6. Shellack that damn label to the box with tape. I don't have shipping labels for my printer because what am I, FedEx? So I cover it in like 8 strips of tape.

7. Go to whichever shipping service Amazon sent it from because unless you ordered a tiny USB cord, it's too big to fit into their drop box. It could be USPS, FedEx, or UPS, all of which are located next to the Best Buy where I could have just dropped the damned thing off in way less time and without having to fight a roll of packing tape.

[x0x0]

You can do a UPS pickup; they come to your door. You can leave the package in the mailroom at work for free. You can drop it off in a random UPS store by walking in, making eye contact with the clerk, then setting it down on the counter. It's a 3 minute process to rebox, particularly if you have a tape gun from the last time you moved (seriously, buy one of these!) http://www.amazon.com/Duck-Standard-Includes-54-Yard-669332/... (amazon link, natch :D)

or you can spend 40-60 minutes driving to best buy or some other store. Even if the drive is 10 minutes each way, that's how long it costs from the time I touch my car keys to the time I'm back in my house -- walk to the parking lot, drive, park, walk, counter, stand in line, reverse the process.

[nostromo]

Judging by the size of offline vs online retail, he's very representative.

[baddox]

I would gladly pay 20% markup to not have to go into a brick and mortar store for pretty much all products I buy.