Amazon, which has already revolutionized the way we shop and buy, has taken what I think will be another giant step forward. It is satisfying our passion for comparison shopping with a new service that lets you compare prices — and make a purchase, of course — with a few quick taps on your cell phone.
That’s right. No longer do you have to leave a store and fire up your Web browser to find out if you can get the same item cheaper someplace else. Amazon’s TextBuyIt, which launched yesterday, lets you text the name of a product, its description, UPC or ISBN from anywhere — even inside a physical store.
How does a bricks-and-mortar retailer fight back, especially when the American consumer has already made it quite clear he expects superior customer service, but is unwilling to pay (extra) for it. Retailers, I’d love to hear your thoughts — and ideas for how to cope — in the comments.