How 19 years of Amazon Prime has satisfied our need for speed

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 ]

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The 10 Best Book Covers of October

Another month of books, another month of book covers. Disproving—somewhat—the theory that we can’t have nice things, this month of the ongoing apocalypse brought us quite a few very good book covers, from the frankly gorgeous to the inescapably charming. My favorites, which I will be using to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-29 08:49:55 UTC ]
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16 new books to buy from your local indie bookstore this week.

With Halloween fast-approaching, I feel the need (along with every other person on the book internet) to remind you that one of the scariest things imaginable might happen: your local indie bookstore might close. Their fate is in your hands. Go on and pick up one (or two or three) of these new... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-27 13:16:05 UTC ]
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Column: America's oldest children's bookstore is struggling in the pandemic. But there's hope

Jimmy Fallon, local authors and devoted regulars are rallying to help Once Upon a Time in Montrose — the country's oldest kids' bookstore — survive the pandemic that has destroyed so many small businesses. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-10-27 12:00:02 UTC ]
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Where Is Hong Kong Literature When We Need It Most?

One of my most vivid childhood memories took place in an English bookshop in Causeway Bay, a short minibus ride from my family home in Hong Kong. I was a voracious reader growing up, eyes constantly trained on any printed text available, even during dinnertime and when brushing my teeth. Intent... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-10-22 11:00:06 UTC ]
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Muswell Hill Bookshop to close

North London indie stalwart Muswell Hill Bookshop is to close, following the retirement of its owner, Ivan Beal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-20 23:21:36 UTC ]
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How an Agency Cut Through ‘Purpose Clutter’ With Its Bookstore Campaign Trolling Amazon

In this David-versus-Goliath battle, mom-and-pop bookstores wrapped themselves in Amazon's familiar brown cardboard as a protest against the retail giant and a plea to shop local. The Instagram-ready stunt, with Amazon lookalike boxes covered in sick literary burns and topical quips, came... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-10-19 20:06:41 UTC ]
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A bookstore that dwells in darkness, literally.

How does one browse in a dark bookstore? Picture row upon row of faced-out books lit like tiny billboards floating in an inky black room, small candle lit café tables as little islands of light between hundreds of glowing covers… That’s basically the scene at Wuguan Bookstore in Kaohsiung,... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-19 15:08:32 UTC ]
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Heywood Hill launches free books for life competition

London bookshop Heywood Hill has launched a competition to provide one book-lover with a free book every month for life.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-19 13:58:51 UTC ]
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Totnes Bookshop closes in box office development plan

Totnes Bookshop in south Devon is being closed in its current form by the trust that owns its lease and will reopen as a box office for local events. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-19 11:36:36 UTC ]
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Your Local Bookstore Wants You to Know That It’s Struggling

Independent booksellers are desperate for customers to return, and not just for an online reading. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-10-15 09:00:28 UTC ]
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Religion Book Deals: October 14, 2020

Joni Eareckson Tada brings a children’s book about heaven to the Good Book Company, an introduction to African American literature lands at IVP, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Retail site Bookshop announces UK board

Bookshop.org, a retail site billed as a way for indies to counter Amazon’s online dominance, has today revealed the members of its UK board.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-13 09:56:56 UTC ]
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Your Week in Virtual Book Events, Oct. 12th to 18th

Books Beneath the Bridge: Greenlight Poetry Salon Monday, October 12, 7pm EDT For the eighth season of Books Beneath the Bridge, a literature series hosted by the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Greenlight Bookstore will be hosting a virtual edition of their quarterly Poetry Salon, hosted and curated by... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-12 10:00:38 UTC ]
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A most extraordinary year in books

If you have been into your local bookshop recently, you will have noticed the beginnings of an extraordinary time for readers.  We have had our ‘super Tuesday’ where an unprecedented number of books have been released in the lead up to Christmas 2020. The outbreak of COVID-19 resulted in many... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-09 06:31:40 UTC ]
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How One Book Biz Insider Is Getting Books to Prisoners

W.W. Norton's Liveright imprint publicity director Peter Miller moonlights as a bookstore owner in Brooklyn—and he's working with Books Through Bars to get books into the hands of the imprisoned. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Ivy Bookshop opens up in new location in Baltimore City

Look for the green stucco house with a porch near the Mt. Washington Whole Foods. Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2020-10-07 22:23:53 UTC ]
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Op-Ed: Buy from your independent bookstore now — or you may never be able to again

Vroman's Bookstore is just one of many independent bookstores in danger of closing as a result of the pandemic. It's not too late to save them. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-10-05 10:00:03 UTC ]
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V&A to close dedicated bookshop and cut 10% of staff as Covid-19 hits finances

The Victoria & Albert Museum is closing its dedicated bookshop and making 103 roles redundant across its retail and visitor experience teams as the Covid-19 crisis hits its finances. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-10-05 09:58:53 UTC ]
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A Bookstore as Tough as New York City Itself

Book Club, an indie on Manhattan's Lower East Side, was only open for a few months before the pandemic hit. Since then, its owners have gotten creative, and are raising the store’s profile. Here's how. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-10-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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What We're Reading - October 2020

Love in Colour by Bolu BabalolaEvery story in this collection of love stories by Bolu Babalola has been adapted from ancient folklore from all around the world. Babalola chooses to centre women in these stories, giving the women unique and passionate perspectives on love. While the original... Continue reading at British Council global

[ British Council global | 2020-10-01 09:59:00 UTC ]
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