Do you find that offering a diamond pendant unearthed on the Maxi supermarket website next to garlic bread loses some of its romanticism?
Posted at 6:30 a.m.
I don’t invent anything. This example is not fictitious. On Valentine’s Day, as I was snooping around Maxi’s site to write this column, his marketplace suggested to me the purchase of jewels adorned with diamonds presented among various foods. An unusual cocktail!
This was not going to reconcile me with the concept of market places, these virtual shopping centers better known by their English name marketplace. I don’t really understand the point of buying on these platforms.
SCREENSHOT
Products offered on the marketplace (marketplace) on the Maxi website on February 14
When Best Buy announced in 2015 that other companies’ products would be offered on its site, I was already puzzled. How would the selection be made? Who would be responsible for what? But above all: why turn to an electronics retailer for nail polish, patio furniture or roller skates?
The popularity of Google Shopping undoubtedly brings a good proportion of visitors there. And the Best Buy name should have a reassuring effect on consumers. For the prices, it would be necessary to make an exhaustive analysis.
In recent years, other retailers have imitated the Amazon pioneer: Walmart, Simons, Altitude Sports, The Bay and even Provigo and Maxi supermarkets. On the website of these two supermarkets, the mention “marketplace, more than in store” is clearly visible on the home page. This way of presenting things has the merit of clearly indicating to consumers the type of environment in which they are about to shop. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
On some sites, it is by reading the description of an item that you find out who the real seller is. Or not.
It happened to a lady who got a dehumidifier on walmart.ca for $159.99. “A good deal in appearance,” she wrote to me. But quickly, it is clear that the product does not meet expectations: the device is delivered in its mailbox. “That gives you an idea of the size! »
She immediately contacts Walmart. It is then that she learns that she has done business with a third party whom she must contact directly. “No problem, I’m taking action. But that’s where I find out that the seller is located in China. The latter refuses to produce a return form and suggests that he offer the dehumidifier as a gift since the shipping cost would be higher than the value of the good.
In all, the woman says she had 14 exchanges with Walmart. All this time has come to reduce the value of his “bargain”, it goes without saying! In the end, through her stubbornness, she got a refund.
This story shows us the importance of being vigilant when shopping online, even with well-known merchants. Especially when e-commerce is new in our life.
The biggest problem with these virtual malls is the latitude that merchants generally have for delivery, returns and refunds. We can no longer always rely on the reputation of a retailer-turned-mall to rest easy.
In other words, this business model confuses the issue.
In fact, Best Buy takes the trouble to post this wise advice on its site to protect customers: “Check the seller’s return policy on the product page, make sure the item is returnable, and see if this involves return costs. »
Because even if the electronics retailer advertises free shipping on orders over $35, it’s not universal. The bill reaches $75 when buying a $700 stroller sold by Bebelelo, for example. This seller offers free shipping on orders… over $5,000!
But there is a way to do things differently.
Take Maison Simons. Its market square, called Fabrique 1840, is filled with objects “chosen for their creativity and authenticity”. The selection of tableware, jewelry and decorative items fits well with the Quebec retailer’s traditional offer. Unsurprisingly, you can access it by clicking on “artisans from here” and Simons’ standard delivery and return policy is applied.
In interview with The Press, President Peter Simons explained that he wanted to put his 10 years of expertise in e-commerce at the service of artisans for whom it is “very difficult, because the web is dominated by global platforms”. Its “symbiotic solution” proves to be a coherent complement. And the unified shopping experience is reassuring.
Reitmans is preparing to follow suit next fall. The Montreal company promises to offer “carefully selected” products in its new market, such as shoes, beauty products and household items. It’s off to a good start, but everything will be in the way of executing the idea.