The market is not fair, that dynamic is of great import for the consumer, and this screed is my attempt to share an observation along those lines.

Our water heater stopped doing what water heaters do, so cold showers are de rigueur until such time I can repair said home appliance.

A typical repair process for first failure of a residential water heater is to test for function of the pilot flame thermocouple. Having determined that to be the issue, I proceeded to the local big box store to purchase the type I have replaced in a half dozen units over the years, but oh no — the $9.00 part is no longer the proper solution; an entire thermocouple assembly is the proper service recommendation for this water heater. Represented in the image above, that assembly costs far more to replace than what was typical “back in the day.”

I have no problem with that notion, other than the fact the box store does not carry the assembly.

The box store up the street can get the part in 4-6 days according to their website, ($109.00) but of course an indeterminate number of cold shower days is unacceptable. As an old hand who is familiar with some trade suppliers, I expand my web search whereabouts a tried and true industrial supplier beat the box store by solidifying a day three delivery. ($129.00) This is certainly better relative to the cold shower exercise, but you know I had to try one other highly dependable source:

Amazon can have the assembly on my doorstep in two days, guaranteed, for just under $119.00, (quotes rounded / approximate)

What is fair really? Well, the box store doesn’t stock the item as excess inventory is not in the interest of their bean counters. This of course is not fair to the consumer who would prefer to do same day business with them, plus their position in this instance may add up to a loss to them, but no matter the case it is not a retailers responsibility to worry about my being inconvenienced in my home.

The online industrial supplier almost got my business and definitely did a better job concerning delivery, mostly by being specific about delivery timelines which was potentially very helpful to three folks not particularly enamored with home cold water hydrotherapy treatments. Unfortunately for them, maybe even unfair to them, is the proposition that more timely delivery is a service Americans are very vested in. To compete more effectively in the residential marketplace it might have been prudent, given internet order capacity, to train those no longer needed phone order takers (maybe let go / not fair) to be fulfillment experts wherein shipping is prioritized? It’s not fair that things change so fast, but innovation rarely takes place where everything is running in the black thanks to a status quo. Good news, I did note this supplier and they will be a go to in the future for purchases of less urgency, plus Amazon doesn’t carry everything, right?

As to Amazon, well what can you say but wow! Bezos’ vision and business execution has set a high standard for sure. Of course this is not fair, and why should it be? Also, check this out; the big box store(s) does offer delivery these days; they never used to. The online supplier used to deliver only to contractors, industrial companies, maintenance organizations, municipalities, etc. Now, thanks to the internet, ubiquitous shipping options, demand for doorstep deliveries with consideration relative to needs of adventurous do it yourself folks, there are very few suppliers which do not welcome the general public in their doors or online.

Add the DIY savings? Why come to think of it, this is all very wonderous, and way more than fair.

Markets rule, because they should. The alternatives are not wondrous nor fair.

DL