I know there is a lot of controversy about their tax activities but wow.. but who could boycott them when they can accept an order at 17.50pm on Saturday, dispatch it at 14.01 on Sunday afternoon and get it delivered with the post on Monday morning, as they did for me - I just can't believe it - I can't believe any other company could provide this sort of service - I'm gobsmacked.
I put in an order to Lakeland on Saturday morning and it arrived today, Wednesday. It is not Christmas presents, but they said that could not guarantee delivery in time for Christmas. I think that they have done pretty well and a lovely Cumbrian lady to chat to.
i would certainly rather buy products online from reputable suppliers and have them delivered than waste my time and money trying to find things here, which are often not in stock and the surly member of staff doesnt know or care when it will be.
eg chainsaw replacement chain is 1/3 rd cheaper online from the uk than it would be in my local Gamm vert - who dont have it in stock anyway.
larger items are however a problem due to delivery and transport costs , recently bought a freezer and online retailers in France are offering much the same product for much the same price (what a surprise) often a little cheaper than the local electromenager but then expect you to pay 60 euro for delivery rendering the final price even higher - they just dont get it ! online shopping has to be cheaper than shops not more !
I'll second that. I use Amazon Premium because with the number of orders my wife and I have it pays off. Christmas presents came to 12 items, they were sent out 10, 1 and 1 - so three packages. They were ordered just before the midday deadline for next day delivery, at about 0910 next morning a delivery service van arrived with all three packages. We then ordered four printer cartridges for our printers at very reduced prices last Thursday afternoon from Amazon France (actually cheaper than UK!!) which arrived with the same man at roughly the same time of day. Then again the other day a replacement part for our washing machine from e-spares arrived a week earlier than the advice said. I think very seriously that these online supply companies have worked out the the way things are and now between their big discounts and fast delivery are on a winning streak.
With regard to the corporate tax dodging, there they could eventually shoot themselves in the feet and have governments ban them, so perhaps they might just relent and make good money out of happy punters anyway.
Just a footnote: If anybody picks me up on my post about failed deliveries and how I gave Amazon a hard time a few months ago, then one key point is that Amazon resent three times, then we 'tweaked' my address which has functioned since. It is clearly the delivery service, in this particular case La Post, but not Amazon, who are at fault there.