Mall operator: Amazon to open hundreds of bookstores

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Only if they know there are enough politicians bought and paid for for a Microsoft style lynching party.

By the letter of the law they are well within their rights to open them.

I'm talking a PR hit here, not a legal risk.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

And even if Amazon operates the stores at a profit, they will still be accused of doing just that.

So it might be better not to open all those stores in the first place.

He'd be a piss-poor businessman if he let potential accusations get in the way of profit...

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I'm talking a PR hit here, not a legal risk.

Has Amazon showed they care much about other people's PR?

[fjtorres]

Amazon is a strange business, exhibit number 666:

http://www.teleread.com/uncategorize...on-overstocks/

Worth a full read.

[theducks]

We used to have 2 chain bookstores in the Town's Mall (and a franchise in the strip center across the street).
The Mall stores closed because of low sales (and the Mall torn down for high rise housing)
Local area Mall and Stand alone stores that I used to haunt... Gone

Walden Books
Crown Books
Borders
Future Fantasy
Little Professor
A Clean Well-Lighted Place for Books

I might see a Amazon Kiosk suceeding
I might see a Standalone "Pickup center" with a small Impulse section in front of the 'will call' counter

[Shane R]

NYTimes:

Amazon’s success as an online retailer of physical and electronic books has already devastated chains like Borders and seriously wounded Barnes & Noble.

Independent booksellers, though, are seeing sales growth in many parts of the country, showing how reluctant some book fans have been to give up browsing store shelves.

“There are all kinds of studies that show the best way to find things when you don’t know what you’re looking for is an old-fashioned bookstore,” said John Mutter, editor in chief and co-founder of Shelf Awareness, which publishes an email newsletter for booksellers and librarians. “I think that’s a major part of what Amazon is trying to do with this bookstore in Seattle.”

Mr. Mutter said the success of some booksellers could not have escaped the notice of Amazon’s chief executive, Jeff Bezos.

“They seem very thorough in terms of competing,” Mr. Mutter said.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/03/te...ookstores.html

[tubemonkey]

From the article:

Amazon’s success as an online retailer of physical and electronic books has already devastated chains like Borders and seriously wounded Barnes & Noble.

...and the car killed off the buggy whip industry. It's called progress.

[Shane R]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

From the article:



...and the car killed off the buggy whip industry. It's called progress.

Agreed. Adapt or die.


And I'll note that there are still both horses and buggies for those who want to enjoy them, and there will still and always be non-Amazon owned brick and mortar bookstores as well.

[Cinisajoy]

Hey fjtorres,
I have heard that Walmart is bad for a town because it causes 1 or 2 Mom&Pop places to close.
Now I may be a complete idiot but to me 2000 people employed is much better for the economy than 1996 being unemployed.
The reason for the high figure is Walmart tends to bring other businesses to the area.
But no, those 4 people will now starve because they can't work for anyone else so Walmart should not be here. (Actually heard that once.)

So see, any business that makes a profit is evil because a few people will lose their businesses.
Note, they are usually niche businesses.

[tomsem]

Malls, particularly the ones that are having a hard time, are in a perfect location for delivery drones to base themselves, or for customer pickup. Books today, everything else tomorrow.

Not that I find substance in the rumors.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

I'm talking a PR hit here, not a legal risk.

http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2016/0...xpression.html

The public likes Amazon. Even if it were true that Amazon is planning to overthrow the government and replace the Bill of Rights with a guarantee of same day free shipping, its approval rating is so high that I don’t think most folks would care.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

http://jakonrath.blogspot.com/2016/0...xpression.html

Jeff should be sainted -- St Jeffrey; the patron saint of shopping

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Hey fjtorres,
I have heard that Walmart is bad for a town because it causes 1 or 2 Mom&Pop places to close.
Now I may be a complete idiot but to me 2000 people employed is much better for the economy than 1996 being unemployed.
The reason for the high figure is Walmart tends to bring other businesses to the area.
But no, those 4 people will now starve because they can't work for anyone else so Walmart should not be here. (Actually heard that once.)

So see, any business that makes a profit is evil because a few people will lose their businesses.
Note, they are usually niche businesses.

Yup.
Change is bad.
If it was good'nuff for granpappy...

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

If the mall operator is lying he's going to have some explaining to do.
Maybe to the SEC.

I'm not sure I buy the 300-400 number but that happens to be the likely number of stores B&N will be left with by the time their spiral is done. So if Amazon is to do B&M that is where they need to end up.

Big if, of course...

He was lying, yes.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/0...e-speculation/

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

He was lying, yes.
http://the-digital-reader.com/2016/0...e-speculation/

About the number, yes.
But Amazon *is* planning to do more stores.
I don't think B&N is feeling too relieved at the prospect of "just a few dozen".

Let's face it, as long as Apub titles are boycotted at B&M stores Amazon is going to have a strong rationale to do outlet book stores.