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Re:The Upcoming Crash Of Apple And Amazon by IanDrake on Tuesday September 27, 2011 @02:59PM (#3044714)
>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.

Re:The Upcoming Crash Of Apple And Amazon by dave1619 on Tuesday September 27, 2011 @03:04PM (#3044740)
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.
Re:The Upcoming Crash Of Apple And Amazon by allwein on Tuesday September 27, 2011 @03:23PM (#3044807)
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.