> there’s one basic ingredient to living online that Sweden still lacks.
  > 
  > They don’t have access to Amazon.

  > while locals clamor

This whole thing reads like a paid-placement Amazon advertisement.

That's not because we don't find it useful, we just have local alternatives.

for living room furniture... Most of it is from IKEA

[1]: https://tweakers.net/pricewatch/#highlightCat:14

Amazon often does NOT tell you the shipping costs until just before you make the order. This while any other price comparison site allows you to compare prices including shipping (e.g. Tweakers.net pricewatch). I don't understand why people use Amazon. From my colleagues only foreigners use Amazon. Dutch colleagues often use sites which might be foreign, but at least appear more Dutch.

German Amazon uses machine translation for appearing to be Dutch. Original language is German. Another bit which makes the experience annoying.

Lastly, most Dutch sites offer really easy returns. Amazon is more of a hassle.

I always see in the product page an info saying "THIS SELLER DOES NOT DELIVER TO IRELAND"

That isn't to say you would want it over the alternatives if you had it. I personally almost never use amazon. I know people who get something delivered every few days. Different people are different.

If Amazon _did_ turn up, would it have an effect? Probably. Would it be game and/or life changing? Unlikely, since these capabilities are already available in here.

You are correct that we are not used to getting everything from the same vendor. But it is absolutely common for people to order stuff online. Our "high streets" are just as empty as those in the rest of the world.

And yet I have not found a convenient online store that has even close to as much as Amazon and is competitively priced. If I want to buy a monitor what is there? All the domestic dealers are beyond awful, and I can use overclockers (a UK site) but the shipping is high and soon I may have to pay tariffs too. I go to German, Spanish sites too now and then but even if they have what I want it's generally overpriced and shipping is quite expensive. I also need to go to 6 different places if I want 6 different things, so I can't combine shipping. If the EU wants greater union it might be worth making it as cheap to ship something from Dublin to Tallinn as from Boston to San Diego.

Though tbf I have been moving towards using more ebay, or dealextreme when I can (and am ok with waiting 6 weeks).

They already paid big chunks of the bills for Ireland's roads, ports and airports. Asking them to subsidise everyone's postal costs too is a bit much.

I also don't miss any products, or envy the prices when comparing smaller stores to Amazon.de or uk.

The us amazon seems like a place where you can get anything, quickly and cheaply. The uk/de stores seems like they have limited selection not as good prices (even accounting for tax and currency differences). I get the feeling that Amazon US is this vast logistical network that makes super cheap and super fast shopping available. And at the same time amazon.uk/de seem like regular online warehouses offering no real price or delivery time benefit over the next store. Does that sound right?

Swedish mail service is generally next day delivery for pretty much everything within Sweden. That's not so with the US postal service (expect 2-3 days for most things) so that right there is already a key difference.

So yeah, in some countries, the delivery speed is not a factor making Amazon more attractive.

When I know of someplace else to get something I'll go there instead and normally get a better price. Amazon might get it a day sooner, which is rarely worth it (if I want it sooner I'll pay extra for next day delivery which most places will offer.

And its a very rude awakening whenever you actually try ordering something from a non-Amazon place that isn't trying to compete with them.

Suddenly you're waiting 2-3 days for "processing", then another week for something to arrive, after having paid $20+ for shipping.

I've ordered stuff from Amazon to Sweden sometimes because their selection is so much bigger and I don't mind waiting several weeks for it to arrive.

Well you should know that we often order from China these days and with zero shipping cost it might take a month to arrive.

Doesn't matter, I'll wait.

But something tells me this attitude is far from the norm among people.

Same day delivery? Not a big deal. The fact that PostNord won’t deliver packages to my doorstep is though. Having to go to ICA to pick stuff up is a complete pain in the ass sometimes, especially if the package is bigger and I can’t carry it with me on my bike.

Article doesn’t really mention the new tax on stuff imported from China either - that basically killed the crap Chinese knockoff market for things like 10kr cords and the like. If Amazon didn’t find Sweden appealing before they find it even less appealing now.

For me that was actually a plus, since FedEx etc would always leave a "sorry you weren't home" notice even when I was home and waiting all day even afraid to go to the bathroom because they were too lazy to figure out the intercom. But I lived in a city where the Posten (at that time) pickup point was basically just right downstairs.

I somehow resent China-shopping getting popular or even mainstream amongst average Joe and Jane (using Wish and the likes). I can see how that prompted this initiative.

From the top of my head I've bought in Elgiganten, Webhallen, Caliroots and SNS with those.

Also, it's quite easy if you live in Stockholm to pay online and pick it up in person, I do that quite often with Webhallen as I have a store close to my office and also to my apartment.

Never felt the need for same-day on anything though, it's just a small convenience to quench my delivery anxiety for stuff I'd really like to have right now but waiting a day or two (I don't even recall any delivery taking longer than that) is completely ok.

Which is fairly possible these days with Best and whatnot, pretty sure Inet and Webhallen offers same-day delivery with them!

I did a lot more online shopping in the US, because delivery was better, the experience was better, sorry to say it but from a consumer point of view Amazon does an amazing job.

Today, I feel like there's many products I can't get hold off... Or it takes too long to order online, so I find a store :(

Same-day is available for a subset of products if you order early enough in the day. Next-day is available for almost everything (for a premium). Two day is the default and also available for almost everything.

I missed Amazon when I lived in Sweden. The issue is not the value Amazon brought us from their excessive competition. It is the relationship with government that should be illegal. Americans pay taxes and those tax dollars go to support Amazon's workers with food stamps, welfare, etc - this is not capitalism, but the socialistic policies that have been growing for nearly a century now. Also, if the government cannot defend the people against The Washington Post's propaganda, then it is not doing its job. It is treason to support other governments and foreign entities above one's own government - which the Post and others very often do. If the US was a free market for the people, then the government would have raided Bezos' home & business a long time ago... But I don't blame him - this is the type of behavior we are promoting without enforcing separation between government & private entities.

EDIT: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17491521

By the way, I highly support your previously downvoted comment, "The only science you're allowed to be skeptical of (on HN) is science other people are also skeptical of..."

I used to think the same thing but ever since I got used to amazon's overnight delivery its a completely different ballgame. Eg: Diswashing liquid almost over -> order it on amazon.

yea you can obviously save money by being organised, going to stores, cutting coupons ect.

Different people have priorties in life though.