Amazon's First Bookstore Opens in Seattle

[murg]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

U Village Store Directory.

A mall that doesn't have 17 shoe stores? What is America coming to?

[Cinisajoy]

There are some stores here that state CASH ONLY.
So I don't see a problem with no cash as long as it is stated upfront.
We had a restaurant who's credit card machine went down. Note you paid as you went in. They didn't put a note on the door. After waiting 15 to minutes to pay, many people just walked out and called the next morning. The manager later told me it cost them several thousand dollars from both the walk outs and all the free meals they gave as an apology.

[GA Russell]

Originally Posted by HarryT

I don't know if it's the same in the US, but in British law, when you buy something in a store, the legal situation is that you're making the store an offer for the goods, which they are free to accept or decline as they wish, so that's what gives them the option of whether or not to accept cash.

That's interesting, Harry. My first guess is that it is the opposite here.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 required businesses open to the public (as opposed to private clubs) to be open to the entire public.

So I would conclude that it is first the merchant who makes the offer (by opening his doors), and the member of the public who accepts.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by GA Russell

That's interesting, Harry. My first guess is that it is the opposite here.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 required businesses open to the public (as opposed to private clubs) to be open to the entire public.

So I would conclude that it is first the merchant who makes the offer (by opening his doors), and the member of the public who accepts.

No this would not violate the civil rights act because ANYONE can go in and shop there.
Also ANYONE can get a credit card. Let me rephrase that ANYONE can buy a prepaid Visa.
Sorry, no discrimination to be found.
Inconvenience is not discrimination.

[AnemicOak]

Here's what Department of the Treasury has to say about legal tender.

I thought that United States currency was legal tender for all debts. Some businesses or governmental agencies say that they will only accept checks, money orders or credit cards as payment, and others will only accept currency notes in denominations of $20 or smaller. Isn't this illegal?
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The pertinent portion of law that applies to your question is the Coinage Act of 1965, specifically Section 31 U.S.C. 5103, entitled "Legal tender," which states: "United States coins and currency (including Federal reserve notes and circulating notes of Federal reserve banks and national banks) are legal tender for all debts, public charges, taxes, and dues."

This statute means that all United States money as identified above are a valid and legal offer of payment for debts when tendered to a creditor. There is, however, no Federal statute mandating that a private business, a person or an organization must accept currency or coins as for payment for goods and/or services. Private businesses are free to develop their own policies on whether or not to accept cash unless there is a State law which says otherwise...

http://www.treasury.gov/resource-cen...al-tender.aspx

[some call me tim]

I'm in Seattle and currently an employee at a large chain retail bookstore that shall remain unnamed. Like tubemonkey, the Amazon store is a little bit away from me so I have yet to make my way there. And has been mentioned, it's an upscale mall so it has little interest for me, but I do want to check the store out at some point. The profitability question is a pertinent one, as there used to be a B&N there that moved out, presumably due to rent costs. I'm intrigued by their approach, it sounds like the first thing that's been differently in terms of bookselling since stores started incorporating cafes.

I don't think this is nearly the threat to indie bookstores as some people fear. Indie stores already have their loyalists and most wouldn't shop at a national chain store anyway. The national chain stores though, they do have something to worry about. From what I'm seeing, the success of the big chain stores relies heavily on the naivete of senior citizens who are afraid of technology (and are easily manipulated by upselling and membership promotions). I'm curious to see how this will pan out long term, and although my job may be at risk, I kinda want to see Amazon succeed. Their $18/hr wage certainly doesn't give me warmer feelings to my current employer.

[GA Russell]

Thanks AO! That appears to answer the question.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by some call me tim

I'm intrigued by their approach, it sounds like the first thing that's been differently in terms of bookselling since stores started incorporating cafes.

What intrigues me is that they are essentially counterprogramming their online business model. The online model is to carry every book they possibly can and they do it so well that they have trained a good chunk of the market to expect to find all available books at Amazon.com, if not new then at least used.

With their B&M store they are effectively saying that nobody can possibly carry all books at B&M so they're not even going to pretend to. Instead, they will simply carry books they think their local shoppers will like and see if the shoppers agree and buy a lot of those books. And, if they truly mean what they said about "bestsellers" and actually pull them if they don't live up to the four stars criterion that can really change the game for the big publishers that live and die by the bestseller.

As I pointed out above, Amazon's Imprints are currently a lot closer to the mythical publisher of old than the BPHs and now they are building a bookstore that aspires to provide the mythical shopping experience that never quite existed in the old days. It is like they are challenging the industry to live up to its own myths.

If they succeed, maybe theyll make a movie about it with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

[murg]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

If they succeed, maybe theyll make a movie about it with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan.

I'd never think to represent B&N by Meg Ryan.

Rodney Dangerfield, definitely.

[crossi]

If they are only stocking one of each book, replacing as needed there wouldn't be much pulling involved just a rotating selection of books displayed, the rest of the books in their fullfillment centers as always.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by murg

I'd never think to represent B&N by Meg Ryan.

Rodney Dangerfield, definitely.

I was thinking more sequel than remake.
But if you wanted to bring in B&N into the mix you might get Gilbert Gottfried.

[AnemicOak]

ABA Head Rings Alarm About Amazon Books and Antitrust Laws
http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/b...rust-laws.html

In a letter about the upcoming holiday season, which appeared in Bookselling This Week, American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher discussed various expected topics, like Indies First on Small Business Saturday (November 28) and the advantages of joining a national map for consumers. It was in his closing, though, that he touched on something of more pressing concern: How Amazon can sell books in its newly opened physical store in Seattle at the same prices as its online one.

How Amazon Books is stocking its shelves is among the questions indie booksellers have about the new bricks-and-mortar store. As a small physical store, similar in size to many indies, the location should not benefit from the deep discounts that its parent company receives on titles at the wholesale level. Though no specifics have been shared about how Amazon Books is being stocked, it's been largely assumed that the titles it sells are plucked from the larger shipments of titles that go to Amazon.com, a company that, given its size, receives books at far larger discounts than many indies.

Neither Amazon Books, or any bookseller, can commingle inventory purchased at wholesale with retail inventory. That Amazon Books is pricing its titles as aggressively as Amazon.com does has led many bricks-and-mortar booksellers to question whether it is benefiting from an unfair advantage, its wholesale discount.

Link to the actual letter...
http://www.bookweb.org/news/letter-a...oren-teicher-3

Finally, I don’t want to close this month’s letter without noting one thing regarding a notable news item in our industry. As I know you’ve read, Amazon.com has opened a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Seattle. While it is far too soon to speculate about the company’s intentions or goals regarding its storefront profile, I did want to make one thing clear: ABA member bookstores can rest assured that your trade association will continue to remind publishers and other vendors about their obligations under antitrust laws, especially regarding their need to ensure that inventory purchased under one set of terms is not commingled and transferred to another class of business. That remains a bedrock principle that everyone must abide by, and ABA will not be shy in raising this matter with all suppliers.

[fjtorres]

Neither Amazon Books, or any bookseller, can commingle inventory purchased at wholesale with retail inventory. That Amazon Books is pricing its titles as aggressively as Amazon.com does has led many bricks-and-mortar booksellers to question whether it is benefiting from an unfair advantage, its wholesale discount.

Says who?
Are they now trying to dictate how Amazon runs its business, conveniently forgetting the deep discounts other B&M retailers like costco and B&N receive?

[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.

[Cinisajoy]

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.

Amazon is not a wholesaler. They are a retailer. If they sell to the general public that is a retailer.
Wholesalers sell to other businesses only.
Anti-trust in no way applies to Amazon ever.

Amazon is a publisher not a wholesaler.
Dang, journalists and/or bloggers need dictionaries.
Anti-trust only applies to monopolies.
Mono means one.