The last few times I was browsing around a bookstore, I didn’t make any purchases. Why? Because when I glanced at the price of the book, I knew I could get it cheaper on Amazon.com. Also, if I order at least $25.00 on Amazon, I get free shipping. I believe Borders and Barnes and Noble websites have the same deal – order $25 worth of books and get free shipping.
Amazon’s prices are usually a few dollars cheaper than the bookstores – the only exceptions I see are books that are lower-priced at Walmart. I do purchase books from Walmart occasionally. I also purchase books from the bookstore if they are on the discount rack/bin and I can get a brand new book for just a few dollars.
I wondered if these higher prices in bookstores were a signal that they’re going to be gone within the next ten years? 
Also, with e-readers, more people are purchasing their books online. From what I understand, you can store several books on your e-reader – not having to worry about lugging all of those paper books around with you.
How do you buy your books? Do you usually purchase them online or through a bookstore? Do you own an e-reader? If so, do you still purchase print books even though you have an e-reader? Do you think bookstores will still be around within the next ten years?
Answer as many or as few questions as you’d like!
The reason I don’t own an e-reader is because I couldn’t read books on it while in the bathtub. Sounds crazy! I know! I’m a mom. I take my moments to myself wherever I can get them. 🙂 I’d say that I order more books online than I purchase in stores.
Hi, Julie!
I don’t own an e-reader, either! I love the feel and smell of a bound book! I’d like to try one someday, but can’t seem to part with the $$ for an e-reader! I have so many print books in this house that I tell myself once I get rid of most of these, I might get an e-reader. Meanwhile, I continue buying more print books without purchasing an e-reader…
I do have a Kindle and love it! I love being able to keep it in my purse and pull it out when I have down time. But I also like holding a real book. I agree with Cecilia’s observations. Bookstores seem to be experiencing a slow and painful death. Unless I NEED instant gratification I won’t pay full price for a book in a store. As our economy continues in this slow time I’m afraid these stores won’t survive, which sadly, means more people out of work.
I have the kindle app on my blackberry and currently have access to 85 books and I would say 83 of those were free. It is great for my time at work that I can read, I don’t have lug my books to work and back. I also listen to books in the car on my mp3 player. When I buy books I usually buy them from Walmart or get them online. I occasionally go to Borders and will usually buy at least one book (hate to go to a bookstore and not buy at least one book). I understand that Borders is on the brink of disappearing.
With so much going on between Amazon, Apple and publishers right now, I have no idea how all this will play out. But I love the convenience of my Kindle and have about 350 books on it; it supposedly holds around 1100. Books that I delete stay in my Amazon account and can be downloaded years from now if I want to read them again. And I’m actually buying more books for my Kindle, whereas I mainly used the library before.
I used to say that I preferred holding a “real” book, but I’ve come to realize that an electronic version is just as much a “real” book as the paper version; it’s just in a different form. The content is the same and that’s the important thing to me. An eBook is not inferior to paper and still represents all the author’s hard work.
And you can read the Kindle while in the bathtub by slipping it into a ziplock bag. I’ve also heard they make waterproof covers now.
I don’t buy as much in bookstores as I used to. Only when it is pure impulse. Most of the time I too order on Amazon and wait. I tend to buy more for my children because if they see a book, they want to go home with it.
Well, I’m not a lone. I don’t have an eReader. I don’t need anything else in my purse and it’s currently too expensive for me.
I buy from BarnesandNobles.com and Amazon.com. I’m a B&N members so I get a 10% discount. I usually only buy in stores if I have a coupon or if I’m at a booksigning. We have lots of those here in Atlanta and I usually try to support authors I like or know. Other than that, I think paying paying full price is silly.
I don’t buy books from Wal-mart, because I try to buy very little from Wal-mart, but that’s a different post all together.
I definitely think bookstores are on the out. Particularly the fiction sections. I envision something like the kiosk we currently have for videos (you know the Redbox and Blockbuster’s blue box). You order the book online and they deliver it to the kiosk in a few days with free shipping. The only things on the kiosk will be the bestsellers. That’s what I see coming down the pike. It’s working for movies. Why not books? We’ll see.