On my way back from #FOSDEM I came up with an idea.
When are we going to replace Amazon?
I put together some ideas in a blog post. I think it's feasible.
https://blog.bustikiller.com/2026/02/01/when-are-we-going-to-replace-amazon.html
#Amazon #FreeSoftware #OpenSource #FOSS #local #federation #commerce
@bustikiller it is a brilliant idea. One thing that is missing though is customer service. That's where Amazon wins time and time again.
I don't have to deal with a local seller who doesn't offer refunds, or won't ship for a week, or whatever.
As an example, eBay often has cheaper products (from the exact same sellers) but the customer service experience is much better on Amazon. So people choose one over the other.
That said, I'd love to see more local shopping options
@Edent @bustikiller Also, I see no mention of payment processing fees. I guess that AZ has strong deals with VISA and co that a small instance could not reach.
The proposal also underestimates the cost of fraud handling. Fraud is probably easier to handle at scale. In particular it can be amortized on sales volume.
