What are you buying on Amazon, and why?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

From reading the thread on Amazon starting to charge a separate price for streaming, I noticed a lot of people saying how they’re constantly ordering things from Amazon, and so the free shipping from them is worth it. Now, I’m not a particularly normal person, so I don’t know what kinds of things normal people buy these days. But for me, everything physical that I buy goes into one of the following categories:

Food - from a grocery store or restaurant. You can order non-perishable foods from Amazon I suppose, and I did a few years ago, but eventually found prices at the grocery store to be comparable as the price online started going up.
Clothes/Shoes - from a store that specializes in such things. Ordering things that you’re going to wear without being able to try them on (especially shoes) doesn’t seem optimal to me.
Electronics - from Micro Center. I order online and pick it up after a short drive. Maybe I’ll have to wait to have it sent to my local store, but not any time recently. Maybe prices are better on Amazon, but I’d much rather go to an independent store with knowledgeable employees who have been able to help me many times figure out what I need.
Prescription drugs - from Walgreens or a local independent pharmacy. Amazon doesn’t offer this I don’t think.
Toiletries - from Costco while stocking up on food from there. Not a huge selection, but I buy when they’re on sale because they don’t go bad, so I’m almost certainly getting a better price.

All media is consumed digitally. There’s no point in requiring the information being imprinted on solid matter to be usable, as it’s less wasteful in material costs, easier to store, and almost always cheaper.

I can’t think of any other categories of physical objects I buy. Everything else I buy is a service that I don’t need delivery for, or is just downloaded. One category of thing that I don’t buy that I assume is everything any client of mine purchases from Amazon is Office Supplies. I haven’t needed any office supply item in years, if not a decade or more. I have a printer, but it’s really just a scanner because why would I want a paper copy? I don’t use pens or pencils very often and have a huge supply from when I used to use them more frequently - the same with paper. Practically everything I do for work is done digitally, so I have no need of physical office supplies

What is it that people need physical objects for these days that makes Amazon the place to buy them from? Or is everyone just so used to buying things from Amazon because they used to always be so much cheaper that you don’t even consider whether that’s a good idea anymore? That’s exactly what I’m guessing has happened, and why there’s now a antitrust suit being thrown at Amazon - they’ve started raising their prices and trying to use their monopoly power.

2

Mostly junk I don’t need. I’m an impulse buyer. Anything in multiples really calls my name.

3

I buy the stuff I can no longer find in local stores. The list is getting longer every day. Also things I never could find in stores, like replacement filters for my air cleaners.

4

I shop Amazon because they sell everything. Physical stores have a relatively limited selection and are often out of stock of things you would expect to find there.

5

Looking at my purchase history for the past year or so:

  • half foam rollers for balance exercises
  • USB-c chargers and cables, battery packs,
  • phone cases
  • kitchen stuff (tongs, ice cube trays, bowls)
  • micro-SD cards
  • daily meds
  • pottery supplies
  • gifts
  • shoe inserts
  • sandals
  • jacket

and probably a dozen more things that are hard to categorize. I love food shopping in the store, and I’m willing to try on clothes in the stores, but I’m not otherwise a huge fan of shopping in person. Amazon is easy, quick, and lets me compare items easily.

Which reminds me, I need to order some Halloween-themed ribbon for some finishers medals.

6

So far in 2023, and merging repeat purchases or multiple purchases of similar items … Backpacks, wallet, coffeemaker, USB hub, USB cables, Bluetooth headset, earbuds, underwear, specialty books, coffee mug, pens, car seat covers, sunglasses, vitamins, coffee grinder, espresso maker, coathangers, socks, water filter, warmup / track suits, USB adaptors, tea balls, reading glasses, tablet nonskid backing.

As others have said. I’m just about done visiting dedicated retail websites. Amazon has it, period. There’s no reason to fuss with dedicated electronic or plumbing or whatever websites. If you need serious industrial, go to Grainger. If not, go to Amazon.

Clothing shopping in person is difficult for me because I’m an waaay outlier size. So frequently I’ll go to a brick & mortar store, hoping to try stuff on, find they have one item in my size but not in a color I want. Often they have zero merchandise in my size, but at least I can see the shape and quality and colors. So I leave empty handed. Then I go to that retailer online and buy 5 of them in various colors in my size. Shoes I order from dedicated shoe websites; men’s shoe sizing isn’t that complicated.

Food, other than very specialty condiments that come from, yep, Amazon, all comes from local supermarkets.

7

We purchase a nutritional supplement for a pet that is half the price our vet charges. It only lasts about 60 days so that is a lot of money saved.

My wife orders two medicinal items (vitamins and calcium) that are very scarce in our area, and at a reasonable price.

I ordered a pair of casual shoes. I wear 8 1/2 W. Not an unusual size at all but almost impossible to find in these parts for some reason. I just spent two days looking at local stores for a new pair to no avail and will probably order from Amazon again.

It’s frustrating the number of plain, ordinary, everyday items you can’t find in local stores anymore. It’s Amazon or nothing!

8

I stopped working at Amazon last year after 7 years in the local warehouse. The big shock to everyone when they start picking orders is how many phone cases you pick. Some days, it’s like half of what you do. The second surprise is the large amount (and wide variety) of sex toys; one of my grossest picks was a 4-pack of animal penis-based dildos in realistic colors and sizes.

You do get people ordering potato chips, breakfast cereal, candy, and we always thought this was someone with Prime who was just lazy as heck. Then you just get into everything, from car parts (closest I came to injury was a starter landing near my foot) to off-brand tablets to kitchen gadgets. I kept a little notepad to write down stuff I planned to order once I got home. The last entry says “Himself” by Jess Kidd, Alritz heated gloves (I hate plugging gear into my bike) and Columbia Silver Ridge convertible pants (?).

What do I typically buy? I’m 6’2" or so and I always joke that I’m square - 34" arms, 34" waist, 34" inseam. When I’m looking for running pants, everyone locally seems to think 32" inseam is plenty for everyone. It’s even a slog to find longer sweats on Amazon without waist size 10" larger than I need. My last 5 Amazon purchases have been workout clothes that fit, including size 14 running shoes.

9

In addition to everyday stuff, I buy a lot of big ticket items (this year - espresso machine, TV, cameras & lenses) from Amazon. Their pricing is usually competitive, and 5% back on their credit card. But mainly because they never mess me around with returns - I only ever buy from Amazon as the seller (not 3rd party sellers), and I don’t abuse the return process, so they have always treated me well.

10

I use Amazon for almost all my shopping. I’ve been an Amazon customer a very long time, until last year my password was a 4 digit number. And I have the Amazon credit card and I get 5% back on all Amazon purchases.

My most common purchases are…

Personal care items, cosmetics and supplements

They usually have a decent price -maybe not dirt cheap, but cheap enough. And they have the selection, which a lot of physical stores just don’t have. I have very strong personal preferences as to brand, variety and fragrance/flavor/color and I got tired of places being out of the exact item I wanted.

OTC meds, not so much. I get a couple hundred dollars credit a year from Medicare that I can use for OTC meds and some personal items (like bandaids, Kleenex and toothpaste) through CVS, plus my grocery store, oddly enough, has a wide variety of really super cheap OTC meds. About the only time I order OTC meds from Amazon is when I’m too sick to leave the house.

Clothing

Underwear, swimsuits, pajamas, workout clothes and the occasional fast fashion item……if I want a top or pair of pants for a particular occasion, I’ll browse for something cheap. I have pretty good luck with athletic shoes, other shoes, not so much. My feet are sensitive and I have to try on a lot of shoes before I find a pair I can wear.

Paper Products

I’m lazy and they’re bulky

Interesting or unusual non-perishable food items.

This usually starts with conversation like this.
“I used to see Catsup flavored potato chips in the stores but I haven’t seen them in forever. I’m craving some”
:::::check Amazon::::::: “I can get them through Amazon, apparently they are big in Canada”.
Probably once a month or so, some one in my family will remember some treat they had years ago, and we’ll look for it on Amazon and if we can find it at a not totally outrageous price we’ll try some.

And there are a couple of food items I can’t get in stores that are staples in my house, specifically Kikkoman Tempura sauce (tastier than soy) and Hickory Farms Sweet Hot Mustard, which is not particularly sweet or hot but it’s flavorful and makes good deviled eggs.

High Ticket Items

Not often, but I have purchased a couple of TV’s, a massage chair and an above ground swimming pool in the past 5 years, and I got my brother a Jitterbug phone through Amazon.

Kindle Books
I love my Kindles, I’ve been using them for about 15 years now and I think I’ve bought 7 total. I’ve purchased about 2400 books since I started using the Kindle.

11

Past 3 months:

  • Bathroom scale
  • Bathmat
  • Doormat (interior)
  • 3 books on decor
  • Melatonin 20mg (not easily found nearby)
  • Lego set (gift)
  • Labels
  • Doormat (exterior)
  • Disposable litter boxes
  • Night lights
  • Kindle book (4)
  • Video rental
  • [Redeemed Audible credits]

ETA: My lovely wife has purchased some of my supplements, cleaning supplies, and small furniture items this quarter.

12

Cat dishes
Game dice.
Gaming deck of cards.
Mosquito repellent.
Fiber supplement.

Books, books and more books.

13

I’ve never had luck with shoes. I just have to try on. Crocs are fine.

14

I’ll answer this in a moment, but to first use/steal your categories:

Food: with very few exceptions I buy all my groceries at either a local grocery store, a farm produce stand (in the summer) or a farmer’s market (also summer-only). The exceptions are bulk quantities of stuff like Glucerna or V8 juice and international foods I simply can’t get locally like HP sauce and OXO seasoning. Those I do get from Amazon.

Clothes/shoes: I have only one specific brand of shoe (Drew) that I will wear and I get those from Amazon because I can’t find them locally. Clothes… well, that depends. I order some stuff from Land’s End, some summer stuff from RSVLTS, some from Cabella’s, some from DXL, some from Duluth Trading, and some I buy locally in a physical store… it kind of depends of what I need/want. And some I get from Amazon. Ties, dress shirts, slacks, and belts all come from Amazon because they’re hard to find locally. However, I’m well-provisioned for clothing so I don’t buy much unless it’s to replace something that has worn out.

Electronics: I don’t. Other than my smartphone, my Switch console, and my laptop I don’t use much modern tech. Give me a rotary telephone, a flashlight, and a car with a manual transmission and I’ll be a happy guy. Once a year I’ll usually binge-watch the first 6 or 7 seasons of The Simpsons and then The Office, and maybe Christmas Vacation on Xmas eve. Otherwise I don’t watch TV.

Prescription meds: all come from a local pharmacy that’s less than 2 miles from my house. The pharmacist is an acquaintance of mine and there is no substitute, in a very literal sense, for having a knowledgeable and well-informed pharmacist available when questions or concerns arise.

Nonprescription meds: Walgreens or Rite Aid, usually – whoever has them on sale. Once a year or so I’ll get Costco-sized bottles of Excedrin, motrin, and Tums, all of which will last the 4 of us plus the not-infrequent random guests roughly a year. I personally use fiber capsules daily and those come from Costco as well.

Toiletries: TP and paper towels come from Costco (and ever since Covid I will never not have a minimum 6 month supply of TP and paper towels on hand). Various soaps and things like deodorant, toothpaste, floss, and the like come from my local grocery store, Walgreens/ Rite Aid, or Costco depending on who has the best price and availability. My wife has a cupboard full of various sprays, goos, and god-knows-whats that she puts in her hair and she special orders those from some website that specializes in sprays and goos for hair. Hand lotion she gets from The Body Shop phsical store in a mall 70 miles away; I get a similar lotion through Avon, ordered straight from my SIL who is an Avon saleslady.

You mentioned office supplies. I’m a teacher so I get office supplies on my own dime fairly regularly and those usually come from Staples.

Now, to your question on why buy from Amazon. Going through my Amazon orders everything I’ve purchased in the past 3 months have been things that I either can’t get locally or are much cheaper on Amazon. The biggest caregory is books. I still buy and read dead-tree books and my son is in college so book purchases are a thing for us. The only local library charges $65 per month for a membership. Fuck. That. I’ll just buy all my books outright, thankyouverymuch. Of course, I use thriftbooks for a lot of books. I also get classroom supplies like stickers and Lego sets from Amazon. (You would likely not believe how many high school kids love building Legos, and what an effective incentive the promise of being given the opportunity to build even a small Lego set in class can be.)

I really don’t like paying $139 per year for Prime and I’m not sure I’ll continue to pay for it when my subscription expires next year. I don’t use the Prime streaming service at all – as noted I don’t watch TV – so losing that would have no impact on me. The 2-day shipping hasn’t been a thing for nearly 4 years now and its rare that I place an order that’s less than $25. I think I’ll do what someone in the other thread mentioned and track the actual number of sub-$25 orders I place and then analyze them to determine if they were all/mostly things that could have waitied to be combined with other stuff in a later order and use that to make the determination of whether or not to keep Prime. I likely would not stop using Amazon, but losing Prime may not be a big deal.

15

What do I buy from Amazon?

F**king everything.

16

I return a lot of things. They’ve never given me a bad time. I thing the people who get cut off must really abuse it.

17

Count me among those who buy damned near everything. Interestingly, on the front page of today’s WSJ was this story about Amazon:

Amazon Accused of Monopoly

I’ve tried sharing links to get past the paywall before. Hopefully that one works, but if not I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and I apologize in advance.

Here’s the first sentence:

FTC suit says online retailer wielded its power illegally to harm competitors

BY DAVE MICHAELS AND DANA MATTIOLI
WASHINGTON—The Federal Trade Commission and 17 states on Tuesday sued Amazon, alleging the online retailer illegally wields monopoly power that keeps prices artificially high, locks sellers into its platform and harms its rivals.

</end hijack>

18

USB cables and chargers, my kindle fire, some international candy, a pretty candy dish, birthday gifts, some shirts for dad - he doesn’t want to shop in stores anymore; too tiring - Blu-rays, books, and some PC games.

19

Given that I live on a “neighbor island,” as the Big Island and other islands outside of Oahu have graciously been renamed (we used to be “outer islands”), there is a lot of stuff not available in retail stores here (or if it is, the prices are super high). Even if I lived in Honolulu, I’m sure the selection isn’t what it would be in Boston or LA or Philly, much less a worldly place like NYC. Plus, shipping here from random internet sites is expensive - if they’ll even ship to Hawai’i, which many places won’t.

Therefore, Amazon Prime is my friend. Grape leaves. Replacement watchbands for my Garmin watch. Casual t-shirts. Soy flour. Swedish dish cloths. Large food-safe desiccant packets to keep my salt, sugar and similar items from clogging up in the humidity. The slightly specialized B12 supplement from Asia that my ophthalmologist in Singapore told me to take.

The list goes on. Amazon Prime is a godsend.

20

For me, a more pertinent question than what I buy on Amazon is what I don’t buy on Amazon, since retail options have become limited with the demise of the ubiquitous department stores and with them, the demise or generally sad state of many malls. And sometimes, I’m looking for an item with very specific features and Amazon has such huge selections that it’s really the only good option. For instance, a little table I needed that had to be within an inch or two of specific dimensions, or a small wallet specifically for credit cards and nothing else. I wouldn’t even know where to start looking for stuff like that in the regular brick-and-mortar space.

I’ve never bought groceries on Amazon, either perishables or anything else. Also, there’s a decent computer-supplies retailer nearby that I’ll sometimes use instead of Amazon, TVs are generally from local retailers, and audio equipment is from specialty audio shops. I generally get clothing from local stores. Otherwise, it’s Amazon for pretty much everything else.

One thing I’ve learned to be cautious about is price. Stuff that is sold directly by Amazon is usually fairly priced, though not necessarily always lower than a local store, but some items sold by third parties are shameless ripoffs that clearly rely on some people just not knowing what a fair price is. Also, Amazon prices often fluctuate up and down like the stock market, so sometimes a better deal can be had by waiting a bit, especially if the cost is non-trivial.