Where it's impossible to compete on price, bookshops (and other segments of retail) need to compete on features, for example a number of retailers have seen a huge growth of people collecting online orders in retail stores [1]. I've picked up an Apple store order within a few minutes of ordering it online (obviously it depends on stock). Considering how much Prime Now costs, there's evidently money to be had for offering rapid gratification.

Unfortunately a number try to have it both ways with high prices, uninterested staff (not helped by low wages) and terrible service. Little wonder Amazon's eating their lunch.

1: http://internetretailing.net/2017/01/evidence-points-click-c... - "John Lewis has said that 52% of online orders were picked up via click and collect this Christmas, with use of the delivery method up by 14.5% compared to last year"

This is not true any more btw. Amazon has lost a number of advantages after they started increasing the number of warehouses and placing them close to consumers. The only advantage they retain is that because their distribution is a warehouse instead of store, they can stock and restock any time they want - and not have to pay the additional labor cost of restocking during after-store hours, and also to keep the place functional but not necessarily presentable. Don't forget that shipping costs are not neglible and Amazon also provides free returns ...etc.

Stores can try a new model where they charge a little extra for customers who want it right away and then aggressively price match online for those who don't mind receiving the item in a day or two. That way, they can keep their labour cost low, and operate like a showroom. However, they need to really aggressively market their touch and feel factor at the same cost as online.

This is why many bookshops teamed up with coffee shops. Even Blackwell's in Oxford has Caffé Nero upstairs. Several indie bookshops do it too.

Nowadays I just go to the Oxfam bookshop near me. It's cheaper than Amazon marketplace (£2.80 shipping). I'm working through the old Hugo/Nebula winners and pretty much every week there's a new classic sci-fi I haven't read. That and cookery, you can pick up lovely books that would cost upwards of £20 for £2.50.

I'm also very wary of buying on Amazon, because it's been flooded with cheap crap from Aliexpress. The exception are a few brands like Anker which are reliably OK.

I go to B&N with gift cards a lot. Even with cash, I'm already in the store, and most of what I buy costs less than an average lunch. Amazon might cost less, but not enough less to matter if I happened to pop into the bookstore while walking around the mall.

> If brick-n-mortar want to compete with Amazon, they need to compete with their prices. However, they also have a lot of additional overhead that makes it untenable.

Seems like a contradictory statement.

The economic message you're sending is that you gain no value from being able to see a book in person. The market will respond in kind.