Empty Shelves – Amazon’s Best Friend
April 8, 2014 | Ally Hanlon

The other day on my lunch break I popped into a national cosmetic retailer well known and much loved by many women for its seemingly endless rows of shelves displaying little tubes and vials of potions that promise youth and attractiveness. For many shoppers this beauty oasis elicits full sensory overload ultimately culminating in more than one impulse purchase. Despite the fact that at first glance the shelves usually appear full of products, I have more than once walked away empty-handed due to that item being out of stock, and this particular trip was no exception. Sure enough, after the beauty consultant made her pitch and recommended a high-end eye primer (by the label Dior no less), imagine her embarrassment and my disappointment when we discovered that the product was actually out of stock. She checked multiple hidden drawers hunting for a stray potted primer - all without luck. And so I was faced with a choice. I could get an alternative product, or I could go online and order it on Amazon for less moeny and with free shipping (thank you, Amazon Prime!).