Quote:
Originally Posted by porkupan
Yes, they did hurt some local book retailers, though in the long run, I think, they helped a lot more than they hurt.
|
How did they help other local book retailers?
Quote:
Originally Posted by porkupan
... And I doubt the majority of book buying public was seriously upset about the demise of "mom and pop" bookshops replaced by spacious deep catalog superstores-cafes.
|
This may be true, but the book buying public should have been upset. The mom and pop stores were run by people who lived for books. They could offer advice for a good read, and their stock reflected their knowledge. Moreover, many mom and pop shops specialised and had a larger selection of books in their genre than the big stores. It is my opinion that most people chose the big chains because they sold books for less than the mom and pop shops. Such choices have caused the rise of Wal Mart and Amazon.
Quote:
Originally Posted by porkupan
There had been no bookstores in most suburban communities before the big chains. Nobody was hurt by them coming into these communities, into the malls and shopping centers.
|
In my area, this was not true. There were bookstores in most of my local suburban communities before the big chains moved in.
Quote:
Originally Posted by porkupan
The question is, when five years from now Amazon finally succeeds in killing off the last standing competitor, what will replace the bookstore? Libraries? In today's culture of incessant "wasteful spending" cuts that's unlikely. Starbucks? Walmarts? What?
|
It is quite possible that it will not be replaced. Most record stores were put out of business by the digital music revolution. No new locals for music have sprung up since their demise. Space is simply too expensive.
One thing that really scares me about the digital revolution is that people are not needed to conduct business. One electronic book can be sold to millions of people with no human involvement. This will clearly change the face of the economy. Another fear that I have is that electronic commerce has the potential to siphon money out of local communities. The money from my e-book purchase would go to Amazon and the author rather than through a local store.