Eh I think books are a weird example here because really we should just have libraries (the mechanism here is if there isn't a book you want you have them order

Eh I think books are a weird example here because really we should just have libraries (the mechanism here is if there isn't a book you want you have them order it, which is exactly what libraries do, ergo why bookstores). But I can't really think of anything else that's good for this example. It's not like a huge McDonald's is a good idea. Hardware stores were all independent shops bought up by like Ace and True Value (or closed by Wal-Mart, etc.) so like, nothing really changed (a small hardware store is still a small Ace hardware store). Basically anything else (furniture, carpet) has some floor display models and a catalog you can browse. Which is also what B&N does when they don't have the book you want. Maybe like a Menards or Lowe's? But again they're just like a weird superstore that's part appliance store, part hardware store, part greenhouse and part lumber yard. Feels like we'd actually get broader inventory at individual stores for those things.