nospam
In article <250320141718178318%not@aol.com>, Scott Schuckert <not@aol.com>wrote:

Sandman
So, the actual price of the product is just one parameter of many when you decide how "competitive" a retail vendor is.

Scott Schuckert
Well, you certainly SEEMED to make it about price. When I had my stores, I offered all the amenities I mentioned before, and like to think I did a good job at them. I still lost customers to mail order, over price differences of 10% or less.

nospam
you weren't offering what people wanted.

Scott Schuckert
So I ask again, in two ways: On price, how close is close enough; on services, what more do customers need to justify a price difference of, say, 15% or 20%, my additional operating costs over the mail order guys?

I already know the answer - customers won't pay for services. But convince me...

nospam
some do, some don't.

in your case, not enough did or they didn't consider what you offered to be all that useful to them.