181–190 of 212 posts
> declaring that the online retail giant undermines communities by siphoning business from the real world and replacing it with internet commerce. Alternate Title: Powell won't sell any books at all anymore
> by siphoning business from the real world and replacing it with internet commerce. I've got news for you, people want to order on a whim and have it arrive at their home the next day. If you don't offer that then people won't buy from you. In many parts of the world overgrown local busybodies have destroyed "high streets" in attempts to monetize drivers and pad their CV; driving people away.
Some people don't mind giving up convenience (price, shipping time) to help their local bookstores. From the article:
"The vitality of our neighbors and neighborhoods depends on the ability of local businesses to thrive. We will not participate in undermining that vitality."https://bookshop.org/ is now an option to use instead of Amazon. It also raises money for local bookstores.
I love Powell's. I've spent way too many hours in both of their Portland locations (and the old Technical store, RIP) over the last 20+ years. I've lived within walking and biking distance to both the whole time. That said, these days I buy a majority of my books from Amazon, and have for a while. The simple reason is that for the books I buy most, which are technical in nature, the prices on Amazon are so much bette…
Not sure this is worthy of being on HN.
If you ever had the opportunity to visit Powell's technical bookstore in the past, you'd find it very worthy. It was an amazing goldmine of books, back before Amazon, and back when university campuses had actual bookstores with actual technical books. When I worked for Rogue Wave Software in the 90's, we took an all-team field trip (rented bus) up to Powell's TB with everyone getting a spending amount to get whatever…
When I visited the PNC in 2015 I peregrinated all the way from Seattle (WA) to Portland (OR) simply for the joy of visiting Powell’s . I even chose my hotel to be as close as possible (which turned out to be the very hip ACE Hotel, which was another amazing experience). These places may be retail businesses, but they’re also basically priceless experiences that should be viewed as public goods.
I love Powell's. I've spent way too many hours in both of their Portland locations (and the old Technical store, RIP) over the last 20+ years. I've lived within walking and biking distance to both the whole time. That said, these days I buy a majority of my books from Amazon, and have for a while. The simple reason is that for the books I buy most, which are technical in nature, the prices on Amazon are so much bette…
Here's my counterpoint. Your argument makes 100% sense in the short-term. In the long run, Amazon's strategically thin margins on technical books will disappear when the other vendors are driven out of business, and books across the board will see a price hike.
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I've never lived in Portland, but try to visit annually; Powell's has earned its place as a 'must go' destination every year. I mean, it's a bookstore, with active curation, that spans a city block. Amazing! I end up with the book I had in mind, plus half a dozen books discovered along the way...
I've yet to go to Portland, but if I ever do I intend to make a stop at Powell's assuming the world is in a place where that can happen. Thankfully we have our own good indie bookstore where I live that's a stand in until I can make it there.
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How is it like Borders? It's a warren of different rooms on different floors, half of which are more like a warehouse than a retail store, with a huge selection of used and new books shelved together. I loved the separate technical books stores, too, although they still have a great tech section in the main location. I assume the standalone PTBs shrank then closed because people were browsing more than buying.
> I assume the standalone PTBs shrank then closed because people were browsing more than buying Should’ve charged a modest fee for the periodic hits of serendipity.
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Bookstores offer something electronic media doesn't -- discovery. 1. You know what you want, you search for it and order it. 2. You know vaguely what you want, you search, read reviews and order it. 3. You walk into a bookstore and wander around and eventually pick something out. I just haven't seen #3 replicated in online fashion. Sure there are a million sites that will guide you to what you want, but you never qui…
> Bookstores offer something electronic media doesn't -- discovery. No, electronic media provides excellent ways to discover new books. What you seem to be missing is browsing physical books in physical bookstores, which is different and grounded mostly in nostalgia.
https://www.amazon.com/Star-Ship-Simulation-games-no/dp/0918...