>you need to show how Amazon loses that 6% price advantage against a 3% operating margin and survives
This assumes that people only shop at Amazon (or online) because it's cheaper. Not so. It's more convenient.
Last winter when we got blasted with snow in N.E. there were no snow blowers to be had within a two hour drive. I bought one off Amazon with next day shipping (for an extra $5, I'm a Prime member).
We have Amazon boxes arriving at my house every week. Paying sales tax isn't going to slow that down.
That's true. I buy tons of Amazon stuff. Sometimes because it's cheaper. But most of the time because it's more convenient (even when it's more expensive). I factor in wasted time/gas/energy to go to the store and Amazon wins out almost all the time.
Exactly. I think the only thing I buy from Amazon based purely on the sales tax benefit is video games, which are the same price both online and off. Everything else is because of convenience and selection.
This assumes that people only shop at Amazon (or online) because it's cheaper. Not so. It's more convenient.
Last winter when we got blasted with snow in N.E. there were no snow blowers to be had within a two hour drive. I bought one off Amazon with next day shipping (for an extra $5, I'm a Prime member).
We have Amazon boxes arriving at my house every week. Paying sales tax isn't going to slow that down.