Amazon to launch 300 - 400 brick and mortar bookstores

[arizonaguy]

http://www.fastcompany.com/3056266/fast ... ign=buffer

[norcalriteaidclerk]

I wonder if this could be a knockout punch to Barnes and Noble.They're in the process of downsizing their brick-and-mortar presence as it is(some of closed in the Bay Area,none in Sac though)...

[BillyGr]

I wonder if this could be a knockout punch to Barnes and Noble.They're in the process of downsizing their brick-and-mortar presence as it is(some of closed in the Bay Area,none in Sac though)...

Or maybe just a competitor to replace Borders since they went out, leaving B&N as the only bookstore (chain) most places?

[Alpha8472]

Amazon has opened a small bookstore in Seattle. The biggest complaint was that it was small and did not have a good selection. The employees spent most of their time telling customers that they don't carry such items and to go to the website to buy it. These little bookstores are nothing more than short term shops that are steering people to use the Amazon.com website.

Barnes and Noble is different in that the atmosphere is one where you can sit down in a comfortable chair and read books. You can also sit down in their cafe and have Starbucks drinks. Amazon bookstores will not have a cozy atmosphere, and the employees all have attitude. 'We don't carry it, go use the website and order it yourself."

If these Amazon bookstores hasten the deaths of the few remaining independent bookstores, then there will be even more hatred towards Amazon. The Amazon Prime delivery has actually been costing Amazon tons of money. The profit from Amazon Prime has been quite low. The express shipping on everything is too costly and will eventually it will lead to a huge price hike and backlash from consumers.

[marshd1000]

Today I was getting a beverage at the Starbucks at their Headquarters complex called Starbucks Center. This building originally housed a Sears store and catalog distribution center. So when the catalog operations ceased, it was turned into offices and was eventually occupied by Starbucks as their headquarters. But the Sears store stayed for several years. I believe that the Sears closed in 2014. So today I asked a barista if she heard what was going to happen to the Sears space. One thing seems certain, the Starbucks store will relocate into part of the space and will no longer be a store with limited seating. But while speaking to the barista, I was told that there is a rumor that Amazon Books will occupy part of the space. But I can't see Starbucks or Amazon using that remaining Sears space for their retail operations. So I am wondering if any other retailer will use up that space or if it will be more Starbucks offices or other offices?

[Brian Lutz]

Given the location of the Starbucks HQ / former Sears store in the middle of SoDo some distance away from Downtown, it does not seem like a particularly ideal location for a big retail store of any sort (I recall there was an OfficeMax store on the opposite side from the Sears in that building that got closed down at some point, but even while it was open felt pretty run down.) There's a Home Depot next door to the building and a bit of scattered retail in the general vicinity (including Costco store #1 about a mile away) but SoDo is still very industrial, is not particularly transit-friendly, and I suspect if Starbucks HQ wasn't there hardly anyone besides the usual industrial stuff would be there at all.

Ironically, one thing that seems to have flourished in SoDo is marijuana shops, and browsing around Google Maps shows a large number of them scattered throughout SoDo. Then again, those seem to cluster around certain areas (Highway 99 is probably the most obvious one, but Lake City Way and Highway 9 in rural Snohomish County also seem to have rather high numbers of medical and recreational marijuana sellers too.)