Poll: Amazon Going After Small Businesses?

Amazon has a one-day promotion that may not sit well with small and local business owners. As many are calling for people to shop locally this holiday season, a recent move by Amazon.com appears to encourage the opposite.

On Dec. 10, Amazon is encouraging customers to download their app, visit a local store, find an item they want, scan it, leave the store and purchase the product on Amazon.com instead. Amazon will pay customers up to $5 to do this, according to the announcement.

Those opposing this say it’s bad for local business. But supporters say it helps customers get the best deals.

This news also comes shortly after , a national effort to support local shops.

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 follows:

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.

What do you think?