Naaaaw, think of it this way. Even though they don’t have the “attractive racks” and lay out, they have to store the stuff in a “bricks and mortar” type warehouse. That still means overhead, since likely they’re stacking it higher and deeper and have to have more “guys” and forklifts and crap to dig it out of it’s spot. Then they have to have a shipping department (which regular stores don’t).
Of course, I’m just talking what sounds common sense to me, IANA retailer or online supplier, so I could be totally full of bologna.
I’m with ya. I won’t buy from anybody who lists handling fees, unless it’s a legitimate store-front business. I don’t charge handling fees on things I sell, only actual mailing and packaging material costs (if I have to buy a box), which I state up front. I even give the buyer the latitude to choose the shipping method and optional insurance.
What really pisses me off is when someone says they will ship priority, charge you for it, then ship via media or some cheaper rate. HUGE difference in postage. And it’s not the money, it’s the misrepresentation.
But that’s the thing, the stores already had the warehouses in place. (I used to manage a record store and I’d got work in the warehouse to make extra money sometimes) They also had computer inventory systems to tell you how to pull the product to resupply the stores. All they had to do was make a little space for individual boxes and hire a few more guys to start shipping consumer orders.
BUt, it did occur to me why prices are the same online for places like the Gap: they don’t want to cannabalize the physical store’s sales. If clothes were cheaper online, you could just go try stuff on and then go order it. Evnetually, it wouldn’t be worth it to keep stores open. But then you’d lose your primary marketing tool and chance to attract new customers.
That still makes it clear that if you’re paying anywhere near retail for something, the shipping and handling fee is a scam…
