[ajmurmann]

So what am I supposed to do as the consumer? Where can I buy things where this won't be the case? For a few product categories, I sometimes have alternatives. Farmers market which is seasonal. I'm lucky to live in Portland which had a great local book store. Many other things I need regularly are much harder.

[balls187]

I'm curious what do you need to purchase regularly that you cannot pick up at a local store?

[dehrmann]

What makes you think that store treats its employees better than Amazon treats its drivers? Maybe you can talk to the employees, but that's just the first layer. What about their suppliers?

[balls187]

Unions

[ajmurmann]

As dehrmann said in a parallel comment, sure I can pick up almost everything at local stores, but I don't believe that most of them treat their employees any better than Amazon does. That's why I listed farmers markets and our fabulous Powell's as alternatives where I'm pretty confident that employees get treated well or there aren't any.

[balls187]

Ah, I see I misinterpreted your comment, missing the key point that you are asking what local alternatives where employees are treated better.

I'm lucky that Fred Meyer (my preferred local retail store) is unionized.

More over, I tend to shop at mom & pop stores, if possible.

[dazc]

Arrange for stuff to be delivered when you're there to receive it?

[ajmurmann]

Sorry, I should have been cleared that I was referring to the part about the middle class waking up to the abuse of service workers. I'm pretty sure that many local stores treat their employees as bad if not worse than Amazon.

[Freak_NL]

Delivery dates shift. Amazon's are doubly fluid. You might have to stay at home for a whole week have a reasonable chance of being there when the package deigns to be delivered.

[dazc]

I'm in the UK, I can have stuff delivered to my office, my home, a remote access anytime locker, a local store or a friend's house. I really don't have an excuse for someone not being there.

Maybe it's different where you are?