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Originally Posted by Elfwreck
Definitely. The advantage they have is being able to select stock based on local demand.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fjtorres
Personal service.
For regular book buyers, good store operators can and do engage the customer. You don't have to be a genius to know that somebody who makes a habit of popping in the same weekday at the same time is somebody worth engaging.
And ambiance matters; unless the store is swamped, taking a few seconds to actually converse (beyond canned queries) with the customer helps a lot. A comment about the book, the weather, sports, whatever... Just an acknowledgement the customer isn't just a wallet with legs.
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Regional differences? Perhaps, east vs west coast thing.
Maybe that is their secret. I really don't know as I haven't visited one in many years. There are two left within 40 miles of me and both only keep "banker's hours."