To be fair, those B. Dalton stores were tiny. No way they could compete in the general-sales arena with so few shelves, when Amazon arrived with orders of magni

To be fair, those B. Dalton stores were tiny. No way they could compete in the general-sales arena with so few shelves, when Amazon arrived with orders of magnitude more titles at lower prices and quick delivery, and drive-to or anchor bookstores were so nearby. They worked when bookstores were few and far between, and malls were the new place everyone went, but not when vast & cheaper alternatives arrived nearby and mall foot traffic turned to a less academic clientele.