"There are more items in the book category than there are items in any other product category. One of the things it was obvious you could do with an online stor

"There are more items in the book category than there are items in any other product category. One of the things it was obvious you could do with an online store is have a much more complete selection." Interestingly books are perfect for online sales for other reasons, they have a high markup and a high price to weight ratio. The former made them easy to discount beyond B&M bookstores (who, by the way, would happily order you any book they don't have in stock and get it rather quickly, even in 1994) and the latter made the cost of shipping not untenable. Books in 1994 (and even today) were one of the few things you could sell for 30% less than the chains, add in $2 for shipping, and still both make a profit and decrease the cost for the consumer. There really aren't many things that fit that description, and I think it's why they were online shopping's first killer app.