This is Jason Burns on the competition the Internet poses to small camera stores:
So times have changed. Internet businesses are often the first place to look. […] This mythical “support and experience” that the mom and pop […] store provides is just not accurate. […] It’s time to take a hard look at your approach. If your business exists on the premise of screwing your customer in the name of small town goodness, it’s time to lock your doors […].
Though the differences between camera stores and bookshops are apparent, it’s the last sentence that really grabbed me. The appeal to “small-town goodness” has often been deployed by independent bookstores of all stripes as a way to influence customers to shop with them. I’ve always doubted its effectiveness, even while being sympathetic to the argument. But to me at least, it’s becoming increasingly clear that bookstores are going to need to do more than