Is Amazon a Better Choice?
by Marisa Kenyon
Love it or hate it, Amazon has grown over the last 20 years from a small, online book retailer to a trillion-dollar corporation with a finger in every pie. Individuals and businesses alike use it for groceries, electronics, home goods, and even ordering office supplies.
So, the question is: "Is Amazon a better choice?"
We set out to test just this, and the results may surprise you!
The experiment started with creating a basic cart of thirteen frequently-ordered items - one in Amazon, and one in Office Express. Then, over a month, the daily price was recorded for each item. It's worth noting that, over the entire month, OEX had one item that decreased in price, and none that increased. The Amazon cart, however, saw wild swings in either direction every day.
Let's look at two examples: the At-A-Glance Monthly Professional Planner & a carton of basic, letter-sized paper, (AAG7026005 and OEX85110 if you're playing along at home).
The graphs below illustrate the daily price changes between OEX and Amazon for these items.
The average price of the planner from Amazon is $21.37, as compared to Office Express's $22.07 - but, this only tells half the story. In reality, Amazon is more expensive than OEX about half the time, and you can bet that the algorithm knows exactly when to raise its price - right before you buy it!
The copy paper shows a similar story - on average, Amazon's paper is about $1.42 more expensive per carton. There are days where their price dips below that of OEX, but they are irregular and unpredictable. For example, on October 3rd, Amazon charged $42.29 per carton and the very next day, that same carton cost $49.99. That's a big increase for the exact same product 24 hours apart!
And, let's not forget that Amazon charges for shipping unless you have a Prime membership - which can cost up to $179/year for businesses.
In conclusion, deciding between Amazon and locally-owned businesses like Office Express ultimately depends on your specific needs, and tolerance for Amazon's unpredictable daily price changes. Opting for Office Express offers more than just consistent pricing: we provide enhanced customer service, delivery by a familiar face, and the opportunity to support a local, woman-owned business. It's also worth noting that reliance on Amazon may expose you to potential changes in pricing driven by their dynamic AI, which gradually impacts your overall spending as it learns your shopping behavior.
If you’re looking for a free cost analysis, please contact us at info@oexusa.com, or give us a call at 877.795.2600 to be connected with a sales rep.