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Blaming BPHs for blockbusters is like blaming them for being in business. Like it or not, blockbusters are where the money is, blockbusters are *what customers want* and blockbusters make it possible for many lesser selling authors to exist in the first place.
It's not like B&N has scaled their stores down so that they only carry 100 books; the superstores still carry 50,000 titles. Most people just seem to want the big sellers. I really don't think businesses should ignore their customer's wants.
Re: Blockbuster Video. The failure of Blockbuster has nothing to do with blockbuster movies, as they predate the video store. Hence the title. It didn't really have much to do with their selection, either - I remember being overwhelmed they their huge selection when I went into my first one in the 80's...that was kind of their great selling point.
BB became successful in the age of videotapes, at the time when buying a movie on a tape cost $70. (And that was 80's money). The market changed with DVDs and with producers focusing on selling them directly to consumers: you could buy a new DVD for $18, or rent one for $4-5. But renting meant returning, and if you didn't return it, there would be big late fees attached. And then Netflix offered an easier way to rent, with no late fees and easy returns.
And then going into a crowded BB, hoping they had a movie you wanted, and dealing with returns...just became inconvenient.
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