Just as Engadget was hitting publish on its first posts, I was putting a freshly minted English degree to use working at an indie bookshop in Los Angeles. In seemingly unrelated news, Amazon had just reported its first profitable year after switching from selling books to selling “everything” four years before. (It still sold a lot of books.) Our bookstore did a good job keeping shelves stocked with a balance of the more worthy popular hits and smaller, better fare. But we couldn’t have every book a customer might want, so we offered to order any in-print title. If a distributor had it, it’d take about a week to get in, longer if we had to go through the publisher. That seemed fine for most customers. But sometimes “about a week” was too long. A few people came right out and said, “Nah, I’ll order it on Amazon.” In 2005, Amazon launched Prime, the membership program that, for $79 a year, gave customers unlimited two-day shipping on most orders. At launch, CEO Jeff Bezos called it “‘all-you-can-eat’ express shipping.” No one knew at the time how hungry the world was for Amazon’s brand of convenience. And now, nearly two decades later, we’ve seen the shifts that accommodate that buffet — in labor, retail and the entire customer experience. Prime wasn’t an overnight success. It’s estimated that six years after launch, just four million households paid for the service. But 10 years later, in 2021, Bezos claimed it had accrued 200 million members worldwide. Outside of that... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-03-08 14:15:57 UTC ]
The nonprofit LGBTQ+ bookstore and community center Mosaics, located in Provo, Utah, needs support to keep its doors open after being a regular target of hate. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-11-26 13:00:00 UTC ]
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This bookstore has faced multiple bomb threats for hosting Drag Story Hours, and now it might shut down—but we can help it survive. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-11-26 12:15:00 UTC ]
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After word spread that Costco was planning to sell books in only the final three months of each year beginning in 2025, various sources now say the mass merchandiser has committed to keeping bookstore sections year-round in 100 of its more than 600 locations. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-25 05:00:00 UTC ]
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From tales of alienation to comforting novels set in bookshops, Japanese authors have written nearly half of this year’s bestselling translated novels in the UK. What’s their secret?• Read an an exclusive Q&A with Haruki MurakamiAnyone who has been in a bookshop in the last few years will... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2024-11-23 09:00:37 UTC ]
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This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 15:12:30 UTC ]
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There are few things better in life than getting lost in a good book — as any book lover will tell you. We have a few heavy readers on staff at Engadget and we all have opinions on the gadgets and subscriptions we think make the experience of reading even better. There are gift ideas here for... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-11-15 13:01:25 UTC ]
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The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union organized a rally outside the Barnes & Noble flagship store in New York City’s Union Square on November 14 in an effort to push the company into resolving disagreement on wages and reaching a contract with workers by the end of the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
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North America, especially U.S. airport stores, is becoming a major growth engine for the U.K.-based bookstore chain. Sales in North America rose 9% in fiscal 2024, to £401 million. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Minnesota's first Black woman–owned indie bookstore has changed hands five months after owner Dionne Sims announced that she intended to sell. The new owner—a self-described artist, academic, and an activist—will identify herself at an open house event at the store next week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-11-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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How does a bookstore know it's almost Halloween? When the horror shelves are a ghost town. Here are a handful of terrifying new titles you should bring home to haunt you this All Hallow’s Eve. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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To celebrate the news that there is another romance bookstore opening—Friends to Lovers in Alexandria, VA—I have a list of ... Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-10-28 11:30:00 UTC ]
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On the afternoon of 18 March 2018 my family and I visited Book Soup in West Hollywood, CA. We had arrived in town earlier that day, having driven down from the Bay Area, and walked to the bookshop from our hotel. My wife and daughter, who was almost three at the time, went to the … The post On... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2024-10-24 17:05:10 UTC ]
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I work as the bookstore manager for a bookstore in the Hudson Valley and one of the things that means is that I handle not only the ordering of most of our books, but the unboxing of them as well. I get to put hands (or at least eyes) on basically every book that comes […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-10-24 14:25:11 UTC ]
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In The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore, history professor Evan Friss explores how bookstores have shaped reading, publishing, politics, and community, beginning in the 18th century. I talked with Friss about the value of indie bookstores, the bygone dominance of Barnes & Noble,... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2024-10-22 12:00:00 UTC ]
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If you find your keys tend to go missing just as you need to leave the house (and particularly when you’re already late), Bluetooth tracker can help. Attach these handy fobs to your keys, wallet, jacket, purse, bag or whatever else you need to get going. Some trackers even rely on vast networks... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2024-10-22 09:00:48 UTC ]
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Yu & Me Books, located in the heart of Manhattan's Chinatown, has become a literary haven for immigrant authors and writers of color. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2024-10-21 15:07:34 UTC ]
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In the Central Eastside Industrial District of Portland, Ore., Patrick Leonard has opened Postcard Bookshop, a store featuring global literature and culture, children’s titles, and sidelines including journals and games for people on the move. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Guide to Bookstore Customers, Award-Winning Fantasy, MId-Century Queer Romance, and More in Today's Best Book Deals Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2024-10-20 12:00:00 UTC ]
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The owner of the bookstore Bettie’s Pages in Lowell, Mich., is “an outspokenly progressive voice running a small business successfully in a conservative small town” and a tireless advocate for the freedom to read. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Two sisters, Barbara Cerda and Valeria Cerda, the co-owners of La Revo Books, a pop-up bookstore in Milwaukee, were named MIBA's booksellers of the year for 202. The two founded La Revo in 2021 to sell Spanish-language literature. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-10-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
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