The
more bookstores, the better.
This holds true in the case of Amazon as well, even though the online giant and ebook king poses a grave threat to the book market with its predatory pricing system and centralization of power.
This holds true in the case of Amazon as well, even though the online giant and ebook king poses a grave threat to the book market with its predatory pricing system and centralization of power.
People
generally love Amazon. They find
whatever product they want, usually at a very good price, and get it shipped to
wherever they are – quickly-- and often for free.
They are the undisputed leading retailer on the Internet. But can they
contribute something positive as they open up brick and mortar bookstores – or
will they use the stores to increase marketshare and their online presence?
Amazon
opening bookstores is like China championing free-speech laws – you remain
suspicious and defensive. On the one hand, it sounds great that more bookstores
are opening and that Amazon is realizing that physical books sold from physical
places still have value. On the other
hand, you wonder what they are up to.
It
was announced that Amazon was finally opening a bookstore in New York, slated
for this spring in the Time Warner Building by Central Park. A Borders used to be there.
A second
NYC bookstore may open in midtown, on the west side, when the Hudson Yards
project is completed in 2018.
Amazon
also has committed to opening a store in a Boston Suburb and in Chicago’s Southport
this year.
In
2015, it opened its first one, in Seattle, and last year it debuted in San Diego
and Portland, Oregon.
For
Amazon, the move makes sense. It has
wanted to surpass Wal-Mart as the biggest retailer and it can speed that
pursuit up by opening physical stores.
It’s always looking for expansion into new areas and to dominate
whatever industry it enters. Some
purists deride the fact the digital giant is going into the land of physical
stores when it used to dismiss the idea.
Others welcome it and see the stores as a way to connect better with the
company. Amazon could easily use these
stores to sell non-book products and serve as showcases for anything, from
electronics and clothes to things it doesn’t yet sell.
But
it’s hard to root for Amazon. Authors
and publishers and bookstores have been injured by its practices for years. It
would be like a New York Yankees Fan suddenly rooting for the Boston Red Sox. Or a Hillary Clinton fan applauding Donald
Trump. But stranger things have
happened.
How
fast will Amazon grow its store fleet and how different will these stores be
from other bookstores? Time will
tell. Will these stores further grow
Amazon – or become a drain on them? Oh,
the drama begins.
DON”T MISS THESE!!!
2017 Book Publicity & Marketing Toolkit
For Writers Of All Genres
How
Would Madison Avenue Hawk Your Book?
Author
Blogs: What Should They Say?
The
Network of Book Marketing For Authors
Which
Of These 6 Reasons Inspires You To Write Books?
How
To Craft Press Releases That Net Your Book Media Exposure
The
right book marketing strategy for you
Overcoming Book Marketer's Block in 10 Easy
Steps
http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2017/01/overcoming-book-marketers-block-in-10.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.