Originally Posted by
Rowan
I haven't read the NPR story (I don't follow links from here, sorry) but the article in Australia drew a more interesting parallel with cycling by interviewing ski boot fitters.
Here's the complete transcript of the NPR story -- it does refer specifically to ski boots:
" Some people are apparently going shopping and trying on shoes or clothes to find the perfect fit. And then instead of buying them in the store, they go home and buy them online at a better price, and also avoid the sales tax.
"Retailers in Australia are fed up with this, and they're charging a fitting fee, according to a newspaper there. One store charges $50 to try on ski boots. The fee is waived if customers buy the boots in the store. The head of one retailer says so many customers are trying on designer jeans and then buying them online that his sales have fallen by 25 percent. "