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Re[2]: where to buy books--in defense of Amazon (kinda long)
Subject:Re[2]: where to buy books--in defense of Amazon (kinda long) From:"Walker, Arlen P" <Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 5 Jun 1997 17:03:03 -0500
A couple of thoughts:
When people talk about big chains versus indies I've never heard of
Amazon on the chain side.
It's a chain all by itself. Name an independent that could lose $5 million
and still be thought of as a viable entity.
This has a lot to do with the fact that they flout the B's
distressing habit of carrying massive quantities of the popular books
and ignoring those works not on the publishing "A lists."
How is special ordering a book not on the shelves at Borders, or Matthew's,
any different from special ordering a book through Amazon, except that in
many cases Amazon takes longer to deliver? The truth is that Amazon's
shelves are even *more* specialized than most of the big chains. According
to Amazon's own figures a lot of the Borders and B&N stores keep more
titles in stock. The major difference seems to be that Amazon pretends they
have the book, while the other stores are honest enough to admit they don't
but can get it from their supplier.
I've yet to see anyone come up with a meaningful difference between Amazon
and any of the big bookstores. I can come up with several differences
between them and the small stores, most of them in the service or "high
touch" vs "high tech" area.
Have fun,
Arlen
Chief Managing Director In Charge, Department of Redundancy Department
DNRC 224
Arlen -dot- P -dot- Walker -at- JCI -dot- Com
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