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View Poll Results: Should Amazon acquire Borders? | |||
Yes | 7 | 14.89% | |
No | 40 | 85.11% | |
Voters: 47. You may not vote on this poll |
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06-14-2008, 04:20 AM | #1 | ||
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Amazon and Borders - a match made in heaven?
Should Amazon acquire Borders? Hedge fund manager William Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management certainly thinks so, comparing the concept of Amazon-owned retailer stores to Apple's successful move into bricks-and-mortar retailing. Of course it should be noted that Pershing Square owns about 30% of Borders.
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06-14-2008, 11:58 AM | #2 |
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Amazon swallows Borders???
Oh! Gawd! NO!!!
It's bad enough they've swallowed Mobipocket. If Amazon swallowed Borders, they'd want to swallow Barnes & Noble and all the other chains. No F*ing WAY! This is a double-plus-ungood thing! Derek |
06-14-2008, 12:14 PM | #3 |
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I think the Apple stores work because they only sell Apple or Apple related product. That is not what Amazon is about.
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06-14-2008, 12:55 PM | #4 | |
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Another advantage is that you would be able to look at and hold a Kindle (as many here have said) before buying it. However, Amazons specialty is online retailing and online services. Also, Amazon stores would mean you'd have to pay tax on all your Amazon purchases. BOb |
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06-14-2008, 01:07 PM | #5 | |
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06-14-2008, 02:34 PM | #6 |
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Man ... that's a hard one. Partly because Amazon sells so much more than books now. I've bought everything from tea kettles to power tools from them.
And, I have a feeling that there are a lot of people out there who have never so much as cracked a book that purchase goods from Amazon. So, what sort of store would it be, versus what the consumer might expect? Would it be a bookstore where you could return a drill press you purchased online? In the end, I think it would a complete and total mess. |
06-14-2008, 11:00 PM | #7 |
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I would support it if it means a viable competitor to Barnes and Noble. There are only two BooksAMillion within 50 miles of here and I much prefer the quiet atmosphere of my Borders to the hustle and bustle (not to mention the throng of teenie boppers taking up space in the cafe) of Barnes and Noble. Plus competition is good!
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06-15-2008, 04:22 PM | #8 |
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Amazon is an online business... the reason they have been successful is that they have not been burdened with brick-and-mortar stores, and the overhead that demands. Borders would only be an anchor around their necks, slowing them down.
If Amazon wanted to have a physical presence, it would be better-served with kiosks in select locations (not bookstores) that access Amazon online, or small displays of the Kindle and online book catalog in non-competing retail outlets (malls, big-box stores, air/sea/railports). |
06-16-2008, 09:53 AM | #9 |
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It'll never happen. Amazon got big and rich from making clever decisions, and this one would be glaringly stupid move for them. The idea of having to stock and operate stores seems to be a cash hole as opposed to having a near perfect mail order system.
The idea of a kiosk with a sample Kindle and a computer setup for on-the-spot ordering would be a winner. Hmmm, I may need to work a deal with eBookwise..... |
06-16-2008, 02:41 PM | #10 |
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Yeah, that would be a dumb idea.
Amazon is too diversified an on-line company to suddenly settle for just selling books. I think that is the reason they got into the whole business to begin with, at least according to Steve Bezos lore of why he created Amazon to begin with. He (says he) saw he could deliver books better and faster to people through an on-line company than brick and mortar stores. Love it or hate it, history (and people deciding with their dollars) has proven him right. |
06-16-2008, 04:30 PM | #11 | |
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Also, someone above talked about stocking stuff. To me this would be more of a display and service center. You would still order the item and have it shipped to you... either while you were at the store or later when you went home. You would also be able to return purchased to these locations and get stuff serviced. Just thinking out loud (out type?). BOb |
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06-16-2008, 04:54 PM | #12 | |
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But I also think that Borders would add little value to Amazon because the only thing Amazon would need is the stores; not the distribution centers, corporate offices, etc. Amazon already has those components (and they work better, too); whatever Amazon doesn't have, it knows how to develop. I don't think Amazon wants to buy storefronts. If it did, it would have bought parts of CompUSA. |
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06-16-2008, 07:04 PM | #13 | |
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I wonder how many people think of books first when it comes to Amazon? When I mention to folks they might be able to get "X" piece of equipment from Amazon, they are surprised since Amazon is so well known for books. ("I didn't know Amazon sold ...." is the usual response.) I can't really see them going with a general merchandise store. And wouldn't see the point of offering kiosk with a link to the web site since you can get that from the comfort of your own home. I think it's some investor wanting to stir up something and get folks talking about something that isn't going to happen |
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06-16-2008, 09:32 PM | #14 |
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There is a problem enough with the amount of books that can be displayed in a given bookshop. If you started taking away shelf space for books to display more non-book items, then you'd find the store going downhill into the toilet very fast as the reason most go to Borders is for books. The other issue is it's a very bad idea for Amazon to buy Borders just to be able to display the Kindle. What Amazon should do it take a look at how they do business and fix the issues they have with they strong-arm tactics bordering on blackmail.
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06-16-2008, 10:06 PM | #15 | |
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That would have been the easiest way to get the Kindle in front of Joe and Jane Q. Public. |
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amazon, borders, motley fool |
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