Quote:
Originally Posted by Fbone
I believe wholesalers selling as a retailer (consumer direct) may run afoul of anti-trust laws. For example, B&T and Ingram may not open retail bookstores, Debeers a jewelry store, Inbev a liquor store, Merck a pharmacy, etc.
Whether that applies to Amazon books I don't know.
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The ABA seems to be way off base in at least three separate ways.
1- Antitrust in the US is about consumer harm not competitor squeeze.
2- Amazon isn't a wholesaler but it doesn't matter because wholesalers can and do sell to consumers. Think of the generic term for the likes of Sam's Club, BJ'S, and Costco. Wholesale clubs.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warehouse_club
3- Borders at one time used to run both a wholesale business and retail store as pointed out in the comments at the source.
Plus, not only is Amazon not a distributor of books, they buy the books outright with no return option, unlike the ABA stores who effectively sell on consignment. Nobody gives consignment channels the same terms as no-return channels. Having paid outright for the books, Amazon can do anything they choose with them: (re)sell them, pulp them, or even give them away.