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Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

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Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#61

Post by marincounty »

spudlyo wrote: post #49
vnorby wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2013, Amazon had 65% market share of online book sales [1]. It wouldn't surprise me if this was 20% higher now. When customers walk into a Barnes and Noble (or any bookstore) and browse books but don't buy (for example, because they found a cheaper price online), they are most likely to end up on Amazon to complete the purchase. B&N did the work but Amazon got the money. Amazon doesn't have that problem. They don'…

This is the final nail in B&N's coffin. > weh8ban > A hollow voice says, "Fool!'

I hope it isn't. I like B & N book stores so much, I would consider paying a monthly fee just to browse, and hang out.

Every time I go there, I wonder how they keep the lights on. I leave and look back thinking, "Will this be my last visit?"

I dont know what they can do in order to stay in business. I don't buy books there. I have a weird taste in books, and they just aren't at B & N. I mainly buy old books at used book stores. I do buy magazines there though, and food and coffee.

If by some miracle, I was made CEO. I would try a few things.

I would get rid of Starbucks. All the food and coffee would be in-house. I would basically copy what Starbucks does, but add more food items. I would also expand the eating area. I think Starbucks does a great job, but I'd rather all my money going to B & N. It probally wouldn't be feasible--I imagine Starbucks has some great leases, and agreements?

I would add more seating to the store. No sofas, but more wood seats, and benches.

I would have all security in plain clothes.

They would all be open until 11 p.m., except Sunday.

Their employees are great. I would leave them alone.

I would add a used, and rare book room to each store.

I know I'm rambling, about a business, I know nothing about. I just don't want them to close.

Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#62

Post by vinceguidry »

rexerexer wrote: post #58
pmorici wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They could eventually use these as order pick-up points for customers or launching points for drone deliveries. The biggest pain when using Amazon is having to worry about the package getting stolen or going and tracing it down at the shipping office. I'd rather just drop by the Amazon store on my way home from work get the package and be on my way.

I don't think you're the only to share sentiment. While it certainly conjures up negative associations for me - I would actually be in favor of a process with similarities to a drive-thru for pick up of online orders. It may be nice to go inside and browse, but the experience in entropy that is now making even a minor purchase at Apple stores has me in avoidance of them. Besides, Amazon is a logistics company.

I'm sure they thought about it, then realized that shipping from the fulfillment center to the bookstore wouldn't be all that cheaper than just doing home delivery.

They'd have to either use drones, or do constant runs from fulfillment centers to bookstores to make it significantly faster than the same-day / second-day delivery you already get with prime.

Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#63

Post by chiph »

UnoriginalGuy wrote: post #52
vnorby wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In 2013, Amazon had 65% market share of online book sales [1]. It wouldn't surprise me if this was 20% higher now. When customers walk into a Barnes and Noble (or any bookstore) and browse books but don't buy (for example, because they found a cheaper price online), they are most likely to end up on Amazon to complete the purchase. B&N did the work but Amazon got the money. Amazon doesn't have that problem. They don'…

Seems like retailers either accept this, or fail to. For example, Best Buy, they knew people were coming in to sample goods and then buying it online. Their solution was simply to agree to price match Amazon, and that appears to have been quite successful, I know I have purchased things at physical BB instead of Amazon due to the policy. They still make margins on their in-house warranties, and any goods sold not pri…

> they knew people were coming in to sample goods and then buying it online.

And even when people go into their store with the intent of buying, they don't, because of BB's poor customer service. My sister just did this - she wanted to buy an iPad, but couldn't find anyone to sell one to her (from the security-locked cabinet). So she did a search on her phone while standing in the store, and bought it from Walmart.com

I predict this Christmas will be BestBuy's last.

Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#64

Post by inklesspen »

marincounty wrote: post #61
spudlyo wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the final nail in B&N's coffin. > weh8ban > A hollow voice says, "Fool!'

I hope it isn't. I like B & N book stores so much, I would consider paying a monthly fee just to browse, and hang out. Every time I go there, I wonder how they keep the lights on. I leave and look back thinking, "Will this be my last visit?" I dont know what they can do in order to stay in business. I don't buy books there. I have a weird taste in books, and they just aren't at B & N. I mainly buy old books at used b…

The Barnes and Noble cafes aren't actually Starbucks; they serve Starbucks products (probably for historical reasons) but they have products Starbucks doesn't have, and they don't accept Starbucks gift cards.

Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#65

Post by thinkling »

pmorici wrote: post #35
thinkling wrote: post #3

I'm very curious what Amazon is trying to do here. Can the business plan pencil out by selling enough additional goods to pay the store's operating expenses? Is the real goal to expose more people to the Kindle who wouldn't otherwise see one, i.e. it's a Trojan?

They could eventually use these as order pick-up points for customers or launching points for drone deliveries. The biggest pain when using Amazon is having to worry about the package getting stolen or going and tracing it down at the shipping office. I'd rather just drop by the Amazon store on my way home from work get the package and be on my way.

If they wanted to do this, they wouldn't start it in a location where parking is a pain (which it kinda is in UVillage) and where retail space is really expensive. Better to go somewhere with cheaper space and a more central location. So that's definitely not the plan.

I'm not disagreeing that they need an alternative to delivery, and they know it. That's why they've been trying stuff like Amazon Lockers (in 7-11s and such) and why they're working on the drone delivery which could adapt to when you're home.

Re: Amazon opens first bricks-and-mortar bookstore

#66

Post by seangrant »

maguay wrote: post #47

Today, a bookstore. Tomorrow, Amazon's the new Walmart/Tesco and everything's priced the same as Amazon.com. Either that, or this is a glitch in the Matrix and a digital store accidentally became real. Seriously though, the digital-to-physical world touches like a cookbook row of the most wished-for cookbooks or Amazon's top preorders on a real shelf is fascinating. Almost surprising we don't see more things like tha…

Can Amazon compete with Wal-Mart though? Everything I see at Wal-Mart tends to be a good bit cheaper than the Amazon equivalent.
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