4 ms·

Whether real or perceived, this highlights why I buy almost everything I need in a physical store; there is an implicit statement that the product is good enoug

by pard68 3y ago

Whether real or perceived, this highlights why I buy almost everything I need in a physical store; there is an implicit statement that the product is good enough for the store owner to carry. (I also avoid chain stores, I basically only shop at small, locally owned businesses... and Aldi :D )

jacquesm 3y ago
That is a very astute observation. Bookstores curate based on what they expect to sell and they take on risk when they order books ahead of those sales. But that also is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophesy: you can not buy books they don't have for sale. And more than once I've bought a book that had been re-priced multiple times. We even had bookstores in NL that would carry leftover stock from other bookstores (notably: De Slegte, where I spent many hours sifting through the stacks looking for gems).
- Turing_Machine 3y ago
  > they take on risk when they order books ahead of those sales I think this varies by country, but in the United States most books are "returnable", meaning that the publisher gives you full credit if you return them. In addition, publishers often don't require payment of the invoice for quite some time after the books have been received. There's little or no risk involved, other than the opportunity cost of not having the shelf space for something else. That's for hardcovers. For paperbacks and periodicals, often the publisher only requires tearing off the front cover and returning that. The bookseller is supposed to destroy the rest of the publication, but unscrupulous ones often launder these so-called "stripped books" through third-party brokers.
  - jacquesm 3y ago
    So, consignment sales. That makes sense I guess and would obviate a part of the GPs reasoning, though there still is risk involved in that the stores would have to figure out how they allocate their other scarce resource: space.
o1y32 3y ago
I see your point but need to say that I find the curation of B & N to be decent, including the "technology" section -- you can find a good mix of beginners and advanced level books, and they are often up-to-date. And slightly off topic -- libraries (both public libraries and university libraries) can sometimes be exactly opposite of this. Whenever I see people say "find a book from your local public library" I know they never been to one and carefully check out the catalog themselves. New books don't arrive on the shelves until several months or a year later, and libraries rarely get rid of outdated books that teach you to learn Windows 7 or C# 6.0.
- pard68 3y ago
  I agree, it's often enough not reality, but I nonetheless find a greater trust in the products I buy in a brick'n'mortar store

by pard68 3y ago

jacquesm 3y ago

That is a very astute observation. Bookstores curate based on what they expect to sell and they take on risk when they order books ahead of those sales. But that also is a bit of a self-fulfilling prophesy: you can not buy books they don't have for sale. And more than once I've bought a book that had been re-priced multiple times. We even had bookstores in NL that would carry leftover stock from other bookstores (notably: De Slegte, where I spent many hours sifting through the stacks looking for gems).

Turing_Machine 3y ago
> they take on risk when they order books ahead of those sales I think this varies by country, but in the United States most books are "returnable", meaning that the publisher gives you full credit if you return them. In addition, publishers often don't require payment of the invoice for quite some time after the books have been received. There's little or no risk involved, other than the opportunity cost of not having the shelf space for something else. That's for hardcovers. For paperbacks and periodicals, often the publisher only requires tearing off the front cover and returning that. The bookseller is supposed to destroy the rest of the publication, but unscrupulous ones often launder these so-called "stripped books" through third-party brokers.
- jacquesm 3y ago
  So, consignment sales. That makes sense I guess and would obviate a part of the GPs reasoning, though there still is risk involved in that the stores would have to figure out how they allocate their other scarce resource: space.

o1y32 3y ago

I see your point but need to say that I find the curation of B & N to be decent, including the "technology" section -- you can find a good mix of beginners and advanced level books, and they are often up-to-date. And slightly off topic -- libraries (both public libraries and university libraries) can sometimes be exactly opposite of this. Whenever I see people say "find a book from your local public library" I know they never been to one and carefully check out the catalog themselves. New books don't arrive on the shelves until several months or a year later, and libraries rarely get rid of outdated books that teach you to learn Windows 7 or C# 6.0.

pard68 3y ago
I agree, it's often enough not reality, but I nonetheless find a greater trust in the products I buy in a brick'n'mortar store