I'm going to take this opportunity to grind my personal axe: Amazon is extremely lazy about shipping books, throwing them into lightly-padded envelopes. Books shipped from Amazon usually arrive with at least minor cosmetic damage and sometimes much worse. For me this is reason enough to avoid buying books on Amazon.
I recently ordered an illustrated novel with a rather heavy paperweight - Amazon shipped it in weakly padded envelopes and the corners were banged up. I even bothered to contact their customer service to ship it with better packaging, to no avail on the replacement item.
I then ordered 10 of the damn things, to see what the packaging would do. 4 came in one box, 3 came in another, and 3 came in individual poorly padded envelopes. The ones in boxes had insufficiently inflated plastic bags, and only 2 books out the entire 12 ordered (original, replacement, and the 10) were what Amazon defines as 'New' upon arrival, though all were shipped as 'New'.
Definitely a frustrating experience.
Edit: I returned all but the one showing the least damage, and received a full refund after some time.
They do the same thing with vinyl records. I opted to roll with Amazon because I was impatient and wanted it soon, even though I'd rather have given my money to an actual record shop. Sure enough, they packed the record like they pack everything else - in a box that's too big and not specifically made for the product, with a couple of InstaPak air sleeves; it was almost comical. Lots of cosmetic damage on the record sleeve, unfortunately. My immediate thought upon opening it was, "Of course."
Record shops or folk on Discogs will always ship them in boxes specifically made for records, and (knock on wood) I'd never received a damage record in the post until that point and haven't since.
I ordered an $80 art book from Amazon. Had to return the first two they sent me, they were so damaged. No protection at all, just loose in a box. Amazon used to mount books to a piece of cardboard and shrinkwrap it together. They must have calculated that most people don’t care and it’s cheaper to damage books with a certain probability. As a book-lover I’m offended by all the waste.
I wouldn't call it laziness but money-driven apathy. They probably tell the warehouse packers to use envelopes for all non-fragile items. As long as the cost of returns is less than the cost of hiring more packers to keep up, Amazon will do things this way.
And, from my experience as a warehouse order packer, the quotas are insane. I'm cautious with other people's stuff, so it wasn't long before they reassigned me. Commercial bulk buyers got better treatment.
I 100% share the frustration with carelessly damaged books from Amazon and don't disagree with your comment, but just want to say it's not Jeff Bezos or "Amazon" doing this to your shipment.
It's underpaid, overworked and (these days) health-endangered warehouse workers pushed beyond their limits by crazy quotas and efficiency measurements trying avoid losing their jobs.
[Well, I guess I should say it is Bezos/Amazon, but you know what I mean.]
I love Powell's. I've spent way too many hours in both of their Portland locations (and the old Technical store, RIP) over the last 20+ years. I've lived within walking and biking distance to both the whole time.
That said, these days I buy a majority of my books from Amazon, and have for a while. The simple reason is that for the books I buy most, which are technical in nature, the prices on Amazon are so much better.
For example, on Wednesday, I bought (from Amazon):
- Programming TypeScript
- Effective TypeScript
- JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
- Eloquent JavaScript
(I'm learning TypeScript/JavaScript for work...)
In order, the prices on Amazon vs Powell's:
- $27, $50
- $27, $40
- $52, $70
- $25, $40
totals: $131, $200
I can't justify spending that much more at Powell's, sorry not sorry. If the prices were similar, as in 10%-25%, I would for sure buy them from Powell's, but they rarely are.
Now - what I do buy at Powell's is every other type of book! I'll never buy a regular old paperback off Amazon, or a cookbook, or a travel book, or ... It's the categories of books that I don't spend a lot on, for which I will gladly pay an increased price. I feel this is definitely justified by the experience I get perusing the stores, finding books I never knew I wanted. (Sometimes the books at Powell's aren't more expensive or actually cheaper, especially the used ones).
Kudos to Powell's, I've spent literally thousands of dollars over the years at that magnificent store and will continue to do so; spent hour upon hour there in my childhood getting lost in wonders it holds.
They don't try to undercut smaller bookstores by offering discounts on new books like B&N, Amazon, etc., their employees seem to actually enjoy working there, it's a family-friendly environment and the selection simply can't be beat. If you enjoy reading, please support this business.
When I visited the PNC in 2015 I peregrinated all the way from Seattle (WA) to Portland (OR) simply for the joy of visiting Powell’s. I even chose my hotel to be as close as possible (which turned out to be the very hip ACE Hotel, which was another amazing experience).
These places may be retail businesses, but they’re also basically priceless experiences that should be viewed as public goods.
Of the last 10 books I bought on Amazon 4 were faulty prints with miscut pages, misaligned pages, misprint pages. Two of them had misprint covers. All of them were sold as new by Amazon itself. I am done with buying books from them
On a side note, Amazon really only delivered the coup de grace to independent bookstores. Large chains like Borders, Barnes and Nobles and box stores like Target and Walmart weakened them so much they couldn't compete when Amazon took away their sole advantage: ordering hard-to-find books from small publishers.
Had a parent that worked in an independent bookstore. The store couldn't match box stores in price. They had selection and the willingness to order obscure books for people, but once the Internet came to homes, they weren't the only ones that did that. Eventually that bookstore got bought out by Borders. Ironically that store was one of the first customers of the distribution network Borders set up for their stores.
> by siphoning business from the real world and replacing it with internet commerce.
I've got news for you, people want to order on a whim and have it arrive at their home the next day. If you don't offer that then people won't buy from you.
In many parts of the world overgrown local busybodies have destroyed "high streets" in attempts to monetize drivers and pad their CV; driving people away.
Powell's Technical Books used to be my favorite place to hang out. I would ride downtown in the morning and spend an entire day there, scanning every shelf in my fields of interest, reveling in periodic hits of serendipity. Since PTB closed, I've been back once. It wasn't worth it any more. I'll admit that I did like it better back before the store was spruced up to be like a Borders.
* if the item is expensive enough to be worth checking out physically, Amazon generally doesn't have it, since it's mostly full of Chinese copies and the genuine products are easier to ship from the manufacturers/smaller shops (since that's where Amazon actually has any margin)
* if the item is cheap, I'll gladly pay the margin in the physical store, since I'll get some extra joy out of having it now-now, not "when it gets there"-Amazon-"now".
I should note I am probably biased here from 3-7 days shipping times due to every Amazon order having to cross a border (into Switzerland).
Here in Germany we have fixed book prices (at least for German books). I think the publisher sets the price and it must not be sold for less with the exception if the book is damaged.
So in this case you really have no reason to order the book from Amazon if it is available at the book store.
For other products this is however true, probably because the price difference and the sometimes cumbersome return policies of retail shops.
But do they do this for bookstores in the same numbers? It seems like a different demographic desiring an increasingly niche product wouldn't be showrooming in the same degree. The most showrooming probably occurs at big box stores, or those that compete with Amazon on general goods.
Depends on the book. I read a lot, and if I am trying a new author out or a book I am not sure of, a hardback at £20 is a bit of a risk compared to kindle 99p perhaps.
I genuinely want to support local businesses, and I make the effort to buy local from Waterstones whenever possible. But it's not always feasible with the amount I buy. I have many thousands of books, including those on Kindle. I don't have physical space for them otherwise.
Yes, it's called "showrooming" and retailers hate it, not that there's much they can do to stop it.
However, for bookshops, I personally believe there's value in having a well-curated collection of books available locally, so I tend to allocate a portion of my book-buying money to physical stores.
An added bonus: Browsing for me is an excellent alternative to recommendation algorithms, and lets me pick up books that I otherwise wouldn't.
I do the opposite now. I search for stuff on Amazon and then go to Best Buy to buy it. Same day delivery even if ii have drive and way better confidence I wont get a counterfeit, it wont be damaged, and more often than not these days it's cheaper.
I find that on March 26, I ordered a couple of books from Powell's. Powell's expected the delivery to be April 14, and as I recall it arrived a day or two earlier. And two and a half weeks was fine. I wasn't out of reading matter, and I knew that one of the books would take a couple of weeks to read. What hurry was there?
It's always weird to read a story where someone's rooting for something like old bookstores to remain in-business.
The thing's that I don't mind the economic shift nor the format shift. I don't particularly care for bookstores or even old-fashion books; I think electronic media with active content is vastly superior. I look forward to further advances in technology, where the line between static media and computation continues to blur into something far more beautiful.
I appreciate that a shifting economy can be tough on those in sectors that're drying up. I can sympathize with bookstore owners who feel saddened by having to close up shop.
But it feels a little weird to see folks taking a rent-seeking position, arguing that broken windows ought be allowed to keep breaking.
I disagree. For fiction, at least, used bookstores let you find some obscure stuff for cheap, and a book can pass through many hands and develop its own story along the way. Some of this stuff isn't available digitally.
I don't think ebooks are a definitive gain over physical. For fiction, I like being able to read them on my phone, and I like Kindle's X-Ray and other features on highlight (who is this character again??). Otherwise, books are damn good. For technical books, I vastly prefer paper, though.
The online ebook market is being swarmed by authors gaming the system. The number of them who split their book into a 12-book "series" that all managed to get released in a year, for instance. Tons of shovelware.
There's just also nothing like a good second-hand bookstore, with it's chill vibe and tactile product.
Finally, kids books should be physical, forever. I don't let my kids read on a tablet or other device, ever.
It seems weird to label consumer preferences (liking paper books) that don't align with yours as advocating for rent-seeking. Arguably, selling digital media is the ultimate form rent-seeking, since the marginal cost is nearly zero and you're often paying for "access" to content. At least with paper books you get a physical product (and resale rights) with your purchase.
Bookstores offer something electronic media doesn't -- discovery.
1. You know what you want, you search for it and order it.
2. You know vaguely what you want, you search, read reviews and order it.
3. You walk into a bookstore and wander around and eventually pick something out.
I just haven't seen #3 replicated in online fashion. Sure there are a million sites that will guide you to what you want, but you never quite find yourself in an odd section of the store, pulled in by something you would never have tried before.
More than anything else, I think this what people miss. They don't want bookstores to exist just because.
Depending on how old you are, there is a big difference between the big stores now, and the same stores just 20 years ago. They used to carry a much larger selection of actual books. My local Barnes & Noble has huge sections dedicated to toys and other things where books used to be. On the actual shelves that remain there are fewer books, and far fewer mass market paperbacks. The latter having been replaced by the more expensive trade paperbacks. The books they do have tend to be on the very popular end -- something which needs far less discovery. The library depth they used to have is gone.
This leads to two bad experiences that we didn't use to have in the big book stores. You want something simple that should exist -- Tom Sawyer for instance -- and you might only find the trade paperback for $13.95. But you need it for school and it's too late to order, so you get gouged. Other times I'm looking for a book that would have been in the back catalog but isn't any more. They will helpfully offer to order it for me -- at a higher price and longer wait than Amazon, other retailers, and frequently B&N online as well.
I get they want to carry less inventory. But the whole point of a bookstore (to me) is the wide inventory of books I don't know I already want. If it's a matter of just books I know I want, I don't have to go to the bookstore.
I keep going and I keep hoping, but those days appear to be gone. Good luck to Powell's if they have a better store than my local B&N.
Some of my favorite moments in time are traveling to some city and carving out time to visit a locally run bookstore. I can point to books on my bookshelf and recall precisely the year and store from which I purchased it.
Maybe bookstores are a problem the way you describe them... I also have a friend who does the annual holiday musical/dance/theater productions in her local town. Auditions, rehearsals, musicians, dancers, actors, etc. Her studio loses money. Her partner contributes most of the matching funds needed to break even. They book theaters and sell tickets, etc. It doesn't make money, it's not a high profile cultural event, it's a hobby but the people who do it, and attend year after year, love it.
I'm not saying bookstores are like that, for better and worse. I personally think bookstores can and should survive in our economic environments. They're a universal funnel of product, output, art, commerce and community. We can buy things from them and they can employee people and survive.
That said -- I just looked up the new Beowulf translation. Powell's is out, Bookshop is out, but Amazon can says it's "In Stock". Sigh^3.
Sometimes you are buying more than just a book and human expertise still has a value. I'll give you an example, I was very pleased to see a local music store flourishing mid pandemic, as I feared they might go under. I purchased an instrument knowingly at a considerable markup because they had a ton of knowledge I needed and I was able to ask many questions. I know that if I decided to go in and ask all of those same questions but then instead of buying it at Art's Music, I decide to find the lowest bidder online, it is only a matter of time before Art and his expertise disappear from the market. I'm afraid there aren't enough people supporting Art to keep human expertise relevant these days. Amazon may provide a very good service now but once all competition is gone what incentive is there to provide the same level of service?
Once things are better... if you like books, you have to visit Powell's at some point in your life. I used to work a few blocks away and would often spend my lunch break there. The trick was to look at books before eating, so I'd get hungry enough to remember to leave.
While I recognize the convenience and price savings of shopping online at Amazon, the reality is that once charming bookstores disappear, people won’t even know what they’re missing to be able to ascribe a value to it. It’s about wanting a world that has a distributed power scheme (healthily decentralized), a marketplace of ideas (rather than only what Amazon platforms/sells), value placed on knowledge (books), spaces for subcultures to thrive, spaces for people in communities to interact with each other, etc.
Bookshops are just one example of what we are losing to megacorps for whom anti trust action is long overdue.
It's surprsing that in 2020 that a bookstore would like to walk away from where most customers would go and buy their product.
I hope they find it would be able to serve their customer better with their own online bookstore and less cost to run their own infrastructure.
Local farm says will not sell grain in cities any more; Says agricultural "revolution" has resulted in decline of people working on farms from 83% to 8%; Working themselves, day in, day out, tilling the land by hand, and all the good honest work that pre-agricultural revolution farming required.
Some people cite that the agricultural revolution paved the way for cities, the industrial revolution, science and technology, but what is really important is jobs that involve turning the land by hand.
The facts that food is now far more available, far cheaper, and far easier to obtain (it can be delivered to your door) and at far greater variety, don't offset the fact that if we returned to pre-agricultural revolution pratices we could have 250 million americans all employed working dawn till dusk on the fields, with only the occasional famine.
(In other news, Farm admits that its only doing this because "The pandemic changed the landscape, Powell said, with Amazon prioritizing cleaning supplies and other essential goods -- slowing the shipment of books.")
I support Powell's courage and I am rooting for them, but I'm afraid they have waited too long to make a stand and the only limit to Amazon's power to squash them in the marketplace is Amazon's concern about being perceived as too powerful.
Often you can buy direct from the author or publisher. If your goal is to avoid Amazon (although I admit I don't know how this will affect revenues to the author/publisher), you can get in touch with your local bookstores or places like https://www.indiebound.org/
The problem is not Amazon, the problem is local rents. If we encourage mixed-use zoning, ie. 3-5 storey apartment blocks with the ground and first level for commercial and office use, we'll lower rents and reduce commutes.
Or would hedge funds and REITs just buy these spaces (or keep them to rent out after building them—a common practice for developers) and continue to charge high rent with more empty storefronts?
I’ve thought for years that the growing number of commercial vacancies, even pre-Covid, would “sort itself out.” It certainly hasn’t yet.
Many European countries have mixed-use zoning. That still hasn't stopped bookstores from hollowing out -- actual books getting fewer and fewer while most of the stock becomes hipster accoutrements like vinyl records and tea sets -- or closing entirely. The problem is that physical books are just not in-demand and high-margin enough to cover labour costs and rents in this day and age.
That's true. But I'd say the problem is us. We want the perks of local business, but too often they're an afterthought. Or we simply choose convenience. Saving a couple dollars on Amazon is no savings at all, if we eventually lose things we love (e.g., local bookstore). But try selling that to someone who is has a religiosly deep relationship with their Prime membership and is convinced they're too busy to fit the local ____ store in. The Hustle Culture mentality has real side effects.
That said, as someone who did (i.e., owner) B&M retail for 10 years, local business need to be more available. Closing at 6.00 pm every day limits your audience. Being open later one or two evenings is a game changer. _If_ you are focused on your customers and their needs.
Or, if your store is in a small town and you drive to your shop, don't take up prime parking spots. Yes, I've seen this done. "Business is slow." Gee, I wonder why.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not an Amazon supporter. They are my vendor or last choice. That said, it's sad how often I get to that last choice so quickly (e.g., Powell's website is marginal at best).
If I understand correctly, Powell's owns their downtown property, including the parking garage. The rent on their adjacent location may be high, and they did renovate and change those adjacent locations a few years ago, but that shouldn't endanger the main "city of books" block.
[+] [-] AlexandrB|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] FoomFries|5 years ago|reply
I then ordered 10 of the damn things, to see what the packaging would do. 4 came in one box, 3 came in another, and 3 came in individual poorly padded envelopes. The ones in boxes had insufficiently inflated plastic bags, and only 2 books out the entire 12 ordered (original, replacement, and the 10) were what Amazon defines as 'New' upon arrival, though all were shipped as 'New'.
Definitely a frustrating experience.
Edit: I returned all but the one showing the least damage, and received a full refund after some time.
[+] [-] jjulius|5 years ago|reply
Record shops or folk on Discogs will always ship them in boxes specifically made for records, and (knock on wood) I'd never received a damage record in the post until that point and haven't since.
Never again will I buy vinyl through them.
[+] [-] viburnum|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] vharuck|5 years ago|reply
And, from my experience as a warehouse order packer, the quotas are insane. I'm cautious with other people's stuff, so it wasn't long before they reassigned me. Commercial bulk buyers got better treatment.
[+] [-] duxup|5 years ago|reply
The binding is a bit off, or pages just didn't print right / are malformed, or strange sort of "weathering" like effects over time, and etc.
[+] [-] unishark|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jccc|5 years ago|reply
It's underpaid, overworked and (these days) health-endangered warehouse workers pushed beyond their limits by crazy quotas and efficiency measurements trying avoid losing their jobs.
[Well, I guess I should say it is Bezos/Amazon, but you know what I mean.]
[+] [-] mtnGoat|5 years ago|reply
Oddly, Lego damages their own stuff too, no way to guarantee uncrushed boxes I guess.
[+] [-] maxioatic|5 years ago|reply
That said, these days I buy a majority of my books from Amazon, and have for a while. The simple reason is that for the books I buy most, which are technical in nature, the prices on Amazon are so much better.
For example, on Wednesday, I bought (from Amazon):
- Programming TypeScript
- Effective TypeScript
- JavaScript: The Definitive Guide
- Eloquent JavaScript
(I'm learning TypeScript/JavaScript for work...)
In order, the prices on Amazon vs Powell's:
- $27, $50
- $27, $40
- $52, $70
- $25, $40
totals: $131, $200
I can't justify spending that much more at Powell's, sorry not sorry. If the prices were similar, as in 10%-25%, I would for sure buy them from Powell's, but they rarely are.
Now - what I do buy at Powell's is every other type of book! I'll never buy a regular old paperback off Amazon, or a cookbook, or a travel book, or ... It's the categories of books that I don't spend a lot on, for which I will gladly pay an increased price. I feel this is definitely justified by the experience I get perusing the stores, finding books I never knew I wanted. (Sometimes the books at Powell's aren't more expensive or actually cheaper, especially the used ones).
[+] [-] pschastain|5 years ago|reply
They don't try to undercut smaller bookstores by offering discounts on new books like B&N, Amazon, etc., their employees seem to actually enjoy working there, it's a family-friendly environment and the selection simply can't be beat. If you enjoy reading, please support this business.
[+] [-] qubex|5 years ago|reply
These places may be retail businesses, but they’re also basically priceless experiences that should be viewed as public goods.
[+] [-] mfer|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] atoav|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pklausler|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] sybercecurity|5 years ago|reply
Had a parent that worked in an independent bookstore. The store couldn't match box stores in price. They had selection and the willingness to order obscure books for people, but once the Internet came to homes, they weren't the only ones that did that. Eventually that bookstore got bought out by Borders. Ironically that store was one of the first customers of the distribution network Borders set up for their stores.
[+] [-] easytiger|5 years ago|reply
I've got news for you, people want to order on a whim and have it arrive at their home the next day. If you don't offer that then people won't buy from you.
In many parts of the world overgrown local busybodies have destroyed "high streets" in attempts to monetize drivers and pad their CV; driving people away.
[+] [-] wrp|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] 29athrowaway|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ThePadawan|5 years ago|reply
* if the item is expensive enough to be worth checking out physically, Amazon generally doesn't have it, since it's mostly full of Chinese copies and the genuine products are easier to ship from the manufacturers/smaller shops (since that's where Amazon actually has any margin)
* if the item is cheap, I'll gladly pay the margin in the physical store, since I'll get some extra joy out of having it now-now, not "when it gets there"-Amazon-"now".
I should note I am probably biased here from 3-7 days shipping times due to every Amazon order having to cross a border (into Switzerland).
[+] [-] fileeditview|5 years ago|reply
So in this case you really have no reason to order the book from Amazon if it is available at the book store.
For other products this is however true, probably because the price difference and the sometimes cumbersome return policies of retail shops.
[+] [-] ravenstine|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] TruffleMuffin|5 years ago|reply
I genuinely want to support local businesses, and I make the effort to buy local from Waterstones whenever possible. But it's not always feasible with the amount I buy. I have many thousands of books, including those on Kindle. I don't have physical space for them otherwise.
[+] [-] signal11|5 years ago|reply
However, for bookshops, I personally believe there's value in having a well-curated collection of books available locally, so I tend to allocate a portion of my book-buying money to physical stores.
An added bonus: Browsing for me is an excellent alternative to recommendation algorithms, and lets me pick up books that I otherwise wouldn't.
[+] [-] unknown|5 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] ProAm|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] cafard|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] _Nat_|5 years ago|reply
The thing's that I don't mind the economic shift nor the format shift. I don't particularly care for bookstores or even old-fashion books; I think electronic media with active content is vastly superior. I look forward to further advances in technology, where the line between static media and computation continues to blur into something far more beautiful.
I appreciate that a shifting economy can be tough on those in sectors that're drying up. I can sympathize with bookstore owners who feel saddened by having to close up shop.
But it feels a little weird to see folks taking a rent-seeking position, arguing that broken windows ought be allowed to keep breaking.
[+] [-] larrik|5 years ago|reply
I don't think ebooks are a definitive gain over physical. For fiction, I like being able to read them on my phone, and I like Kindle's X-Ray and other features on highlight (who is this character again??). Otherwise, books are damn good. For technical books, I vastly prefer paper, though.
The online ebook market is being swarmed by authors gaming the system. The number of them who split their book into a 12-book "series" that all managed to get released in a year, for instance. Tons of shovelware.
There's just also nothing like a good second-hand bookstore, with it's chill vibe and tactile product.
Finally, kids books should be physical, forever. I don't let my kids read on a tablet or other device, ever.
[+] [-] AlexandrB|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] LanceH|5 years ago|reply
1. You know what you want, you search for it and order it. 2. You know vaguely what you want, you search, read reviews and order it. 3. You walk into a bookstore and wander around and eventually pick something out.
I just haven't seen #3 replicated in online fashion. Sure there are a million sites that will guide you to what you want, but you never quite find yourself in an odd section of the store, pulled in by something you would never have tried before.
More than anything else, I think this what people miss. They don't want bookstores to exist just because.
Depending on how old you are, there is a big difference between the big stores now, and the same stores just 20 years ago. They used to carry a much larger selection of actual books. My local Barnes & Noble has huge sections dedicated to toys and other things where books used to be. On the actual shelves that remain there are fewer books, and far fewer mass market paperbacks. The latter having been replaced by the more expensive trade paperbacks. The books they do have tend to be on the very popular end -- something which needs far less discovery. The library depth they used to have is gone.
This leads to two bad experiences that we didn't use to have in the big book stores. You want something simple that should exist -- Tom Sawyer for instance -- and you might only find the trade paperback for $13.95. But you need it for school and it's too late to order, so you get gouged. Other times I'm looking for a book that would have been in the back catalog but isn't any more. They will helpfully offer to order it for me -- at a higher price and longer wait than Amazon, other retailers, and frequently B&N online as well.
I get they want to carry less inventory. But the whole point of a bookstore (to me) is the wide inventory of books I don't know I already want. If it's a matter of just books I know I want, I don't have to go to the bookstore.
I keep going and I keep hoping, but those days appear to be gone. Good luck to Powell's if they have a better store than my local B&N.
[+] [-] jasonv|5 years ago|reply
Maybe bookstores are a problem the way you describe them... I also have a friend who does the annual holiday musical/dance/theater productions in her local town. Auditions, rehearsals, musicians, dancers, actors, etc. Her studio loses money. Her partner contributes most of the matching funds needed to break even. They book theaters and sell tickets, etc. It doesn't make money, it's not a high profile cultural event, it's a hobby but the people who do it, and attend year after year, love it.
I'm not saying bookstores are like that, for better and worse. I personally think bookstores can and should survive in our economic environments. They're a universal funnel of product, output, art, commerce and community. We can buy things from them and they can employee people and survive.
That said -- I just looked up the new Beowulf translation. Powell's is out, Bookshop is out, but Amazon can says it's "In Stock". Sigh^3.
[+] [-] Jimmc414|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] davidw|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] throwawaysea|5 years ago|reply
Bookshops are just one example of what we are losing to megacorps for whom anti trust action is long overdue.
[+] [-] tly_alex|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] lowbloodsugar|5 years ago|reply
Some people cite that the agricultural revolution paved the way for cities, the industrial revolution, science and technology, but what is really important is jobs that involve turning the land by hand.
The facts that food is now far more available, far cheaper, and far easier to obtain (it can be delivered to your door) and at far greater variety, don't offset the fact that if we returned to pre-agricultural revolution pratices we could have 250 million americans all employed working dawn till dusk on the fields, with only the occasional famine.
(In other news, Farm admits that its only doing this because "The pandemic changed the landscape, Powell said, with Amazon prioritizing cleaning supplies and other essential goods -- slowing the shipment of books.")
[+] [-] Jimmc414|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] altmind|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] coldpie|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] francisofascii|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dubcanada|5 years ago|reply
The real reason for this is, Powell has it's own book store that competes with Amazon.
[+] [-] ArkVark|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ericbarrett|5 years ago|reply
I’ve thought for years that the growing number of commercial vacancies, even pre-Covid, would “sort itself out.” It certainly hasn’t yet.
[+] [-] Mediterraneo10|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] me_me_me|5 years ago|reply
It was fun exploring local food courts of bigger buildings.
[+] [-] qppo|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] chiefalchemist|5 years ago|reply
That said, as someone who did (i.e., owner) B&M retail for 10 years, local business need to be more available. Closing at 6.00 pm every day limits your audience. Being open later one or two evenings is a game changer. _If_ you are focused on your customers and their needs.
Or, if your store is in a small town and you drive to your shop, don't take up prime parking spots. Yes, I've seen this done. "Business is slow." Gee, I wonder why.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not an Amazon supporter. They are my vendor or last choice. That said, it's sad how often I get to that last choice so quickly (e.g., Powell's website is marginal at best).
[+] [-] Kednicma|5 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rorykoehler|5 years ago|reply