What if you could program a retail environment like you program a desktop application? Miniature computers, pervasive networking, and affordable tablet interfaces make programmed retail environments seem inevitable. Instead of using the familiar mice and monitor for system interaction, a programmed retail operation like my brick-and-mortar bookstore, Lorem Ipsum in Cambridge, Massachusetts, connects cameras, RFID readers, monitors, speakers, and motion detectors to software designed to maximize customer happiness and store profit. But it's not as easy as just adding sensors and a few monitors to the store. Here's what you learn when hacking retail in real life. When Lorem Ipsum Books started up in 2003, I built a web-based inventory and point-of-sale system because that's what I knew. Then I made an architectural choice that would haunt me for years: I chose to move the Linux server from under the sales counter to a data center down the road. This simple system was run on an in-store Linux machine running an Apache web server with a MySQL database of inventory on it. Most web developers today would be familiar with this simple LAMP stack. Employees accessed the inventory system through a web browser running on the computer sitting on the checkout counter. For a cash drawer and receipt printer I went on eBay and purchased the cheapest I could find. With this hardware and a found Cuecat barcode scanner I was in business. I built the computers with spare parts, so the... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2013-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As COVID cases surge to record numbers and Republicans flirt with a paper coup the future of the nation’s bookstores remains perilous. Yes, we all have a lot to worry about—but if you care about that unwieldy, amorphous thing called literary culture, please spare a moment (or a dollar) to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-11-10 16:14:32 UTC ]
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For this year's Love Your Bookstore Challenge, the staff at Brooklyn's Greenlight Bookstore share their colorful and varied must-read titles. The post Love Your Bookstore: Greenlight Bookstore appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2019-11-13 11:00:58 UTC ]
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The following excerpt is from David Heatley’s graphic memoir, Qualification. * __________________________________ Excerpted from Qualification by David Heatley. Copyright © 2019 David Heatley. Excerpted by permission of Pantheon, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. All rights reserved. No... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-16 08:47:15 UTC ]
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Independent Bookstore Day returns April 29 for a day of reader solidarity, or, in the words of one local participant, Skylight Books, “Today we all bleed indie!” Launched in California in 2014, Independent Bookstore Day has since gone national — this year’s list of participants boasts 458... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For the first time in the nearly 25-year history of the PW Bookstore of the Year Awards, a children’s only bookstore, Wild Rumpus in Minneapolis, was named one of five finalists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Poland is dominated by two major bookselling chains, but the city of Krakow is offering support to small, indie booksellers to preserve cultural heritage. The post Amid Polish Bookstore Decline, Help for Small Bookstores appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A24, the New York–based film and TV company, and Mack, the London-based publisher of art and photography books and critical studies, have partnered to distribute A24’s books worldwide, and to publish new books in the future. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A local electrical engineer with a passion for literature is on a mission to share the stories of local authors who have struggled to break into the mainstream publishing industry. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-05-20 10:00:37 UTC ]
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Sales at bookstores were down slightly in 2023 and fell again in the first quarter of 2024, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau. But is the decline due to a drop in sales, or a change in how sales—particularly sales from college stores—are reported? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-05-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Ambitious politicians often publish an autobiographical book as they explore whether to launch a presidential campaign. Will California's governor be next? Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2024-05-09 10:00:06 UTC ]
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The rights center having opened today (May 8), the Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino opens its public-facing fair on Thursday (May 9). The post Torino’s 2024 Book Fair Expands Its Professional Program appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2024-05-08 21:13:14 UTC ]
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The noble but neglected Scribner Building on Fifth Avenue has renewed the lease for its last remaining tenant at a higher rent, marking the first good news in many years for the landmarked property where F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway used to meet their publisher. Apparel retailer... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-05-07 09:48:08 UTC ]
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The American Booksellers Association has filed a motion with the Federal Trade Commission seeking to fix a hole in the FTC’s antitrust complaint against Amazon that many in the industry agree needs correcting: that it did not specifically include what Amazon’s practices have done to book... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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For this year's Independent Bookstore Day, held on April 27, hundreds of indies across the country extended their celebration across the entire weekend as crowds crawled from one shop to the next, snapping up books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-29 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Mayor Eric Adams’ administration went on the offensive Tuesday as he prepares to nominate Randy Mastro, an attorney with a long and controversial career, to be the city’s top lawyer.Despite opposition by the City Council, Adams’ administration has confirmed it is considering Mastro, a partner at... Continue reading at Crains New York
[ Crains New York | 2024-04-23 19:11:11 UTC ]
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Seminary Co-op booksellers and friends have held a number of conversations with legendary bookseller Paul Yamazaki throughout the past two years, in the intoxicating stacks of City Lights, perambulating the streets of San Francisco, and over whiskey tumblers deep into the night. With Paul we’ve... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2024-04-19 08:59:44 UTC ]
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This year’s top honor goes to a 128-year-old store that is beloved by its community, plays host to vibrant literary events for authors large and small, and serves as an anchor business for the Village of La Jolla, Calif. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Professional Booksellers School has educated nearly 1,000 booksellers since it was launched in 2021, and has recently rolled out new self-study courses as well as “Bookstore Year One,” a year-long program designed to provide mentorship for new bookstore owners. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-04-18 04:00:00 UTC ]
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