Rumor has it that Amazon is getting
into the brick and mortar book business big time. Mall reps and human resources
rags are talking about it and articles are popping up all over the place
calling attention to it. What will it mean for indie bookstores to have the largest retail book
giant in the neighborhood? Well, what did it mean for the locals when B&N
moved in and eventually out? Given the diversification of the lines sold at
B&N and the rebranding as stores akin to libraries sporting coffee shops
and other push-in offerings that keep potential customers milling about for
hours at a time, there’s still hope for an unsullied bookstore. Will Amazon fill
that role thereby ousting smaller shops once and for all? Well, it remains to
be seen where these shops will open. Right now, it’s Seattle, Wa. and word is
hot on a new location in La Jolla, Ca. As test sites we’ll all begin to see the
kind of technology that will be put in place. Lips are flapping about
eliminating the checkout process with data on the book/item being transmitted
alternatively. I bet there will be a 3D printing and filling stations for
Kindles as well. As far as the imagination can take us, knowing Amazon is never
afraid to be the trendsetter.
