It's Still Shopping....Right?

The article on the web that CNN posted really made me think about the whole concept of "dynamic pricing". Their point was that when you shop offline, people know the differences of prices because there are coupons, sales, flea markets, bargain stores, name brands, etc. Now people are moving to online shopping because of convenience....but for a price. CNN says that these new online consumers are whining because of "dynamic pricing". I think it makes sense for companies to tailor to an individuals buying habits because of their frequent purchasing habits. Nathan, you used the example in class one day about how you bought a baby garment and now you're receiving pop ups for baby clothing. I think it makes sense to tailor to purchasing habits not recent purchases. I don't buy into this business that online companies are stealing money from people because they don't know they can find better prices elsewhere or that they don't know they're being "cheated" out of a reasonable price. The notion of "shopping" still exists online as it does in College Square mall: different places, different prices, different sales. Just because I like Levi's jeans doesn't mean I have to buy them from the world's most expensive online clothing store. Shopping means you can look elsewhere to buy the same goods for a different price. The bottom line is, I believe online shopping can be a good thing because it makes sense for businesses to track personal buying habits to cater to an individual's needs and/or wants without all the hassle. The whole notion of people getting cheated online is a little overdone by CNN in this instance, because as well as we know to shop around in the mall, we know enough to shop around on the web.