@Cheri I mostly buy books from local (online) bookstores now, and Amazon only if there’s no alternative. I miss the smell of new bookstore books (in the morning), but Charlie don’t surf.
@Cheri What?! I visited one such store in Austin and liked it although yeah, I didn't buy anything (bookstores need cafes if you want people to linger). Perhaps Amazon is moving away from bookselling. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kindle faces the axe soon.
@pratik I'd be very surprised if the Kindle goes away anytime soon. Why would Amazon get rid of it? People pay Amazon money, and all Amazon has to do is maintain a little infrastructure and share some of the money out with publishers.
@Pilchuck I love Third Place! Elliott Bay is another favorite downtown. I've only been in an Amazon bookstore twice, and it was basically like an airport bookstore, but I did like how they set up their merchandising. (If you like book A, here are five more you might like...)
@pratik @philipbrewer I'll admit, the same thought crossed my mind. Amazon makes WAY more from web services and ads than from selling ebooks. But ebook advertisement is still a big profit center for them, and books are an important part of their brand. They're continuing to invest in ebooks, unlike BN/Nook which is basically dying on the vine. So I'm not too concerned.
@Cheri @pratik @philipbrewer I may just be telling myself what I want to hear, but I’d bet the reason Amazon is closing physical bookstores has to do with the “physical” part, not the “book” part.
Guess we’ll see! I’d be happy for the bookselling industry to be less dominated by Amazon, regardless…