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Why Bookshops will die

October 9, 2003

My friend walked into this shop, looking for a particular book that he had read about. This bookshop (spread over multiple floors), is typical of its kind - rows and rows of shelves, stacks of books, generally classified into broad topics (Fiction, Science, Art, etc.). Customers wander into the relevant section, and search for their book, bring it to the counter, and pay for it.

He couldn’t immediately find it, so he asked the sales personnel to help him. They in turn asked him for the exact name of the book, the publisher’s name, etc. - all information that my friend …