How B&M Retailers can Compete with e-Commerce

Some of my friends in the brick-and-mortar retail industry are complaining about my opposition to their efforts to tax your online purchases. They say that with the requirement to collect and remit in-state sales taxes on purchases, they can’t compete with online operations out-of-state that do not have to collect and remit sales taxes.

“If you want to see a case study in how physical locations can combat the Internet, shop at Men’s Wearhouse,” writes a Muth’s Truths reader. “These guys will press or mend my husband’s pants or sew on a button for him no matter what city he travels to. It can be done. It’s called customer service.”

Customer service. What a unique concept.