Even here in the frozen north (Canada), I've switched to ordering books via Indigo.ca or Amazon.ca. I just wait until I have $35 (I think that's the amount) worth of orders and shipping becomes free. And for that $35 I get more value than I do at local book stores (and pay lower taxes). There are two independent bookstores in town, Bolen Books and Munroe's. I've found that the staff there, while friendly, and their selection more diverse than the local big-box Chapters, rarely know about the books I'm after and usually have to order them anyway - at a higher price than I get via the two website stores mentioned above. Plus, I have to pay for parking downtown at one, and deal with a mall environment for the other.
The online retailers better meet my needs for convenience and price.
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