California Attorney General Rob Bonta last night filed a request for a preliminary injunction in California’s existing case against Amazon for price fixing. Attorney General Bonta’s 2022 lawsuit alleged that the company stifled competition and caused increased prices across California through its anticompetitive policies in order to avoid competing on price with other retailers. New evidence paints a clearer and more shocking picture. The motion for a preliminary injunction comes after a robust discovery process where California uncovered evidence of countless interactions in which Amazon, vendors, and Amazon’s competitors agree to increase and fix the prices of products on other retail websites to bolster Amazon’s profits. Time and again, across years and product categories, Amazon has reached out to its vendors and instructed them to increase retail prices on competitors’ websites, threatening dire consequences if vendors do not comply. Vendors, bullied by Amazon’s overwhelming bargaining leverage and fearing punishment, comply — agreeing to raise prices on competitors’ websites (often with the awareness and cooperation of the competing retailer), or to remove products from competing websites altogether. Amazon’s goal is to insulate itself from price competition by preventing lower retail prices in the market at the expense of American consumers who are already struggling with a crisis of affordability.
Yeah, I’m in the US and what you described matches the experience here too.
One major point though, the physical locations still have to pay humans, in my community, to operate. It’s not much, but these days I consider it roughly a moral duty to do what I can to force companies to spend money on employees.
And then otherwise at our house we just buy more and more stuff second hand. Quality in everything is trash anymore, even just packaging is barely functional trash these days. Everything you open destroys itself, including stuff that’s supposed to reseal with a zipper, like a bag of cheese. Gotta make line go up!
Fair points. We actually do buy much stuff used, even clothes. As a principle. Though I always kinda feel bad to buy stuff others could have needed more or are forced financially to do so. It’s a mixed bag…
As for employees that’s another thing. Offline shopping is so annoying that most stores closed already and the inner cities here basically became lil Istanbuls where you can’t even read the signs anymore unless you can read Arabic. What’s left are mostly chains, of which many are US-owned or lick US-boots (nothing against you guys, but the country and its course). So buying there or at Amazon doesn’t change much. Super large companies that shit on employees and would rather own slaves than pay minimum wage.
And the few shops where shopping is still fun, peaceful and with a variety that sparks joy, are often shops not meant for the average Joe. The last one we strolled through was awesome. Except that unless they see your platinum or better card they wouldn’t even talk with you. And we usually don’t look like we’re loaded and we got treated this way. So fuck them too.
I hate offline shopping. And I loved it 30yrs ago. I went to the city core every day and shopped like an idiot. It was fun, informative and efficient. Now that feels like a story from my dead granny
I definitely can’t comment on what your situation looks like to you directly, but where I live, I find your description of nothing but “lil Istanbuls” in the “inner cities” to sound super suspicious. Gross, honestly.
In the US that’s roughly the exact sentiment (not far from exact words, truly!) that the most egregious Trump supporters spew everywhere they can. To be clear, these folks rarely visit a city in any capacity and will often tell stories for weeks when they do. All the while getting themselves worked up enough to collect legitimate small arsenals (not hypothetical “har har, Americans”, I’ve known many people young and old like this).
I dunno. I can’t see what it looks like from your eyes, fundamentally. But are you sure you’re as unwelcome as you think in the immigrant shops, or even shopping areas/neighborhoods? I randomly pop into whatever vaguely or strongly “ethnic” shop or restaurant and never have a bad time. Pretty often have some fantastic times! Just go shop there and let yourself be (a little) vulnerable and clueless, is the advice I’d give my lost warped countrymen.
Sounds like you’re describing a different desired experience, I don’t mean to be TOO reductive, but idk. Cultural integration can work both ways, it’s fun and dope to learn and enjoy what other people like, might be my single favorite experience on Earth 🤙
Oh no, don’t get me wrong. I like multicultural stuff. But the key-word here is MULTI. That is not what is happening here. I love my occasional asian supermarket, indian shop or even that one bulgarian mini-shop that exists. What i can’t stand anymore is that one single cultural theme taking over complete areas, especially every main street. This is no exaggeration for drama’s sake. Most of the inner-city-shops don’t even have anything in german (or at least english) on their windows. All arabic. You don’t even have a clue what it’s about. Hearing spoken german in those areas is the exception. And they don’t want any non muslim. To them we are…well.
I’m no racist, I’m misanthropic. I think the whole species is a virus, i don’t care for race or sex or whatever. But i do despise religion in whichever form.
If i’d emigrate, I’d learn the language and try to assimilate the culture as much as possible. I would not try to make that new place my old place. Why would I even emigrate then :)
No, I’m not the european MAGA-equivalent. There just a VAST difference between multicultural variety and monocultural invasion. We also have a “little tokyo” here, where there are predominantly japanese migrants. It’s a great place, you’re always super welcome everywhere. They WANT us there.
Also it’s not all of germany though. I happen to be born in a conglomeration of many cities into one big heap of cities next to each other. Long story short, yes, cultural integration can work both ways and it’s dope to discover other cultures (hence i love travelling and have seen most places on this earth). This is no “foreigners bad!”-rant. It’s a sad observation from 40yrs ago to today.
Besides, yes. we have a strong drift to the right here too. No armed hillbilly yokels like you have, but still dangerously strong tbh. I’d argue that the next elections may already be doomed and we will go nazi again. At which point wifey and I will finally move elsewhere.