tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post7125755478553013099..comments2024-03-18T22:39:50.137-07:00Comments on A Kindle World blog: What Amazon has been up to ... Drone experiments approved ... Prime Now 1-2 hr deliveries ... Sunday deliveries ... Amazon's first physical store and its New York midtown plans . Windows 8 video tutorial ... surface pro 2 price worth a lookAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-41608046970372648302015-03-22T14:51:41.581-07:002015-03-22T14:51:41.581-07:00Hi, Edward - that's a very good point about dr...Hi, Edward - that's a very good point about drones being more useful or doable in rural areas. <br /><br />I did have one Sunday delivery before, but that one was noted on my order while this one wasn't, so it was really odd to get a knock on my door for a delivery on a Sunday. <br /><br /> What I forgot to mention is that some designated 2-day deliveries arrive in one day now due to the warehouses in this state, and USPS, unlike UPS will not hold a delivery in the depot for a day just because it's not expected or promised until the next day. <br /> All of this is a bit more unexpected because I live in the east bay across from San Francisco where you'd expect the faster service.<br /><br /> Re UPS vs USPS (Fed Express is always timely and right in front of the door on a 2nd floor level flat), some UPS drivers THROW it up the stairs and I usually have to go find it near the top of the stairs. They don't even bother to bring it to the door too often. USPS not only brings it to the door but when I'm not here to answer, they actually try to find a place they can put or hide it so it won't be found by package thieves (it seems that some follow UPS trucks around). Am impressed with USPS delivery.<br /><br /> I do also see that the UPS guys are often loaded down and behind and there seems to be rigid enforcement of time spent so that they apparently feel penalized if taking time to ring the door bell and give you a package.<br /><br />Costco is not far from me, and I try to use them, although the purchasing lines can be a long wait. They have unusual items like Harry's Organic Tapioca Pudding (!), which Amazon doesn't carry. :-)<br /><br />Re NY, Amazon doesn't need a streetside retail location in the building though... I'll be very surprised if they don't open up a store there... and of course it'll be near a miniwarehouse :-)<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05109282436243758435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-872447660964013545.post-13737152027142874032015-03-22T12:01:31.846-07:002015-03-22T12:01:31.846-07:00Well, drones don't interest me much -- can'...Well, drones don't interest me much -- can't see them as viable in cities, but perhaps they could improve deliveries to rural areas?<br /><br />I just received a Sunday delivery (via USPS) from Amazon about an hour ago -- it's the third or fourth Sunday delivery that I have received from Amazon. A year or so ago the bulk of my deliveries from Amazon came from UPS or FedEx. These days probably 50% come via USPS, and almost none from FedEx. On time delivery is about as good or better than it ever was.<br /><br />About bricks & mortar: I find myself turning more and more to Amazon for paper products, canned goods, and other household staples in bulk that I used to get from Sam's Club, BJ's, CostCo, and the like. The prices aren't necessarily any better (worse in some cases), but I can get sizes larger than I can find even at the big box stores, and (most importantly) I can do in 20 minutes on Amazon what would take me 2 or 3 hours at a B&M store.<br /><br />I agree that office supply stores are struggling. Near me I have an Office Max (recently merged with Office Depot), and a Staples -- both stores seem to have shrinking product assortments, and they seem a bit more unkempt. I recently went looking for an articulating desk lamp like one I bought in Target a year ago. Target din't have it anymore, and it looks like they are getting out of desk lamps entirely, Staples no longer carries any desk lamps, and Office Max didn't have what I wanted. I wasted 4 hours driving around to no avail, and ended up ordering it from Amazon anyway (:grin).<br /><br />The only part of Barnes & Noble that has been successful recently has been their college bookstore operation. Now with Amazon entering the fray, things are looking ever worse for B&N.<br /><br />Two hour delivery will probably never come to Port St Lucie. I see where much of Amazon's 2 hour delivery in Manhattan is carried out using bike messengers (:grin). The 34th street location is a 12 or 13 story building that extends through the block to 35th street where there are loading docks (the building used to be the flagship store for Ohrbach's department store). There are only two streetside retail locations on 34th street; both occupied by upscale tenants; both of which recently had their leases renewed by Amazon -- so I don't expect to see any retail type Amazon outlet at that location. I'm guessing they will use it as the hub for their two hour delivery operation -- sort of a mini-warehouse.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14856691481030828812noreply@blogger.com