Interesting thought, but the studies I have seen don't support that theory. In any event, that's something their business strategists would have to figure out for them.
but that conflicts with the whole idea of a "loss leader", which has been a bedrock concept of marketing since [insert diety here] was a puppy . . . .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loss_leader
They are not taking store stock but rather are selling store stock, in some cases, to online who then sells it to you. I'n not sure there are ANY vendors who have online and B&M stores that do it differently, I have not encountered any. Usually it's transparent to the customer and the customer is unaware, as many have commented here.
while correct, it is completely an accounting thing. they have decided, for whatever reason, to do it this way. the end result, though, is that they make me wait while their online system processes an order for an item i am otherwise holding in my hand.
it is short-sighted. telling a customer no is a horrible idea. telling them they can get what they want by jumping through hoops is worse. telling me to pull out my phone, place an order online, and wait 20 minutes for their back end to get the order to the counter in the store is not helpful. they are driving me towards online shopping, which can't be helpful to maintain their local stores.
the local bank branch in town understands this. go in to make a deposit, and they will fill everything out for you, and offer you a lolly pop, and a doggy treat to take home to the dog. they understand that if their foot traffic drops down too much, the bank might close the branch, which has happened to two nearby branches of other banks already.
they need to play off their strengths. some stores understand this. a lot do not. look at sears. they used to have a big catalog business, which is old school online shopping. now they can't get people to come to the stores, and from talking to the order pickup guys at the local store, even that is drying up.
[set(rant,off)]
anyway, i like the inflator. it is about the size i expected. setting the pressure is cool. need to figure out if i can rig something up so i can use it to release the locks on the auto lift. if i can get that working, once i get the M12 cutoff tool, i won't need a compressor in the shop, since those are the last things i use it for.
time that I had seen on sale online. Went to the store and price was $5 higher so I took them to customer service counter and they wouldnt price match. So I left set there and went and set on the bench in the customer service area and ordered them online and waited 15 minutes for the order to show up... Its ridiculous in my opinion.