Physical Stores call for Boycott of Amazon, Digital Overlord

Brick and mortar retailers aren’t too happy with Amazon. A little while ago, the online giant released a price-checking app and commemorated its launch with $5.00 credit if you used it to check the price in a physical store but bought the product online. Meatspace retailers are calling foul on this.

Price checking apps aren’t new. Barcode scanners were some of the earliest apps to grace the app stores, and they haven’t lost any popularity since. Amazon’s novelty was its $5.00 credit, designed to drive people to its store. And thanks to Amazon’s massive product library and stellar infrastructure, there’s a good bet the product you scan will be cheaper through them. This lets Amazon turn brick and mortar stores into a source of traffic, letting the physical storefronts display the product but having Amazon ship it. The best of both worlds for Amazon.

Amazon has essentially created a way to steal the sale of anyone with a smartphone, if they can get people to use their app.

Now store owners are panicking, finally noticing the noose that technology has draped around their neck. One bookstore owner in Oakland has started handing out “Occupy Amazon” pins to his customers, in what he surely thought was a clever ploy. He has even gone so far as to berate customers using the app:

“When we see shoppers taking pictures with their phones or using the app, we won’t go so far as to be rude or ask them to leave, but sometimes we’ll be sarcastic about it, and ask them, “Hey, what’s that app? How cool!” I think the only thing you can do is make people aware.”

Which surely achieves nothing except annoying his customers. I know I wouldn’t shop at a place like that, if I still bought paper books.

But he is hardly alone. The American Bookseller Association wrote an open letter to Amazon brazenly stating that this app is:

“the latest in a series of steps to expand your market at the expense of cities and towns nationwide, stripping them of their unique character and the financial wherewithal to pay for essential needs like schools, fire and police departments, and libraries.”

One bookseller (why are only booksellers responding?) decided to counter Amazon, offering 15% off last weekend and a $5.00 credit if you could prove to them you cancelled your Amazon account.

At least that’s a clever way to fight back against our new digital overlords, I guess.

TechCrunch Photo by : Carl Malamud