Monday, September 19, 2011

Large Book Stores Are Running Themselves Out of Business

There's a book I want. I looked it up online at Barnes and Noble because I have a gift certificate for the store. Online the price is $27 with tax and free shipping included. I work near Colonie Center so I figured I'd walk over there at lunchtime and pick the book up. I find it on the shelf in the food section (where else?) and there are about 5 copies. I look it over, read the flaps and start to walk over to the sales counter when the price on the book catches my eye. It's $40 in the store. I ask the guy behind the counter about the price difference and he says, "We can't do an online price."

"But it's your online price," I responded.

"Yeah, we can't do online prices," was the reply.

So the book went back onto the shelf and I came home and ordered it from them online. If this is the case with all of the books that cost $25 or more, I don't see how a store like that will ever be anything more than a place to go and browse. This is probably why Borders is gone from the area. They probably couldn't compete with themselves either.

3 comments:

  1. It's not just bookstores. I was searching on Target's website for deep fryers and found one that I liked and was reasonably priced. Went to the store and brought it back home. Checked my receipt and noticed it was more than I expected. They lure you with a cheaper price online but then you have to tack on shipping and whatever fees they come up with and bah... darn them all.

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  2. Phairhead - Right?!? The book will be here by the weekend and I'll keep the $20.

    Lilimonster - As a family, we can't walk into Target without spending at least $50. We just need toothpaste...and that shirt will fit Allison and some socks and dish soap and...now it's more than $50. And actually, there goes the $20 I saved.

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