Amazon Going After Small Businesses? (POLL)

Many are calling for people to shop locally this holiday season, but a recent move by Amazon.com appears to encourage the opposite.

The online retailer announced this week that it would pay customers up to $5 to scan items in local stores using their smartphones, so long as the person buys that same item online through Amazon.com.

A director for Amazon Mobile told All Things D that Amazon collects pricing and advertisements all year round. "Now, we are enabling customers to use the Price Check app to share in-store prices while they search for the best deals.”

While this move could be beneficial to shoppers who stand to save some money, local retailers might have something else to say when shoppers come in, scan and then hit the road. The deal specifically reads as follow:

Get an extra 5% discount (up to $5) on select items in electronics, toys, sports, music and DVDs just by checking a price. Redeem this offer up to three times -- a savings of up to $15.