http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2008/12/12/it_s_not_just_the_big_chains Comments On: It's Not Just the Big Chains by Paul Constant en-us Copyright 2009 The Stranger. All rights reserved. This RSS file is offered to individuals, The Stranger readers, and non-commercial organizations only. Any commercial websites wishing to use this RSS file, please contact The Stranger. webmaster@thestranger.com (The Stranger Webmaster) Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:01 -0800 Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:45:00 -0800 Foundation http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss
p.s. Bookstore options here in Hong Kong are not very good, but I do buy locally as well.

-Spode

Posted by Spode]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:46:58 -0800 The Stranger Posted by think local/shop local]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 13:20:08 -0800 The Stranger
Posted by gfrancie]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:57:25 -0800 The Stranger
GO TO YOUR LOCAL USED BOOKSTORES BITCHES! Not only will you promote the goodness, help employ the talented, and do good for local economy, blah blah... INTERESTING SHIT WILL HAPPEN.
Posted by meh]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:38:59 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:29:00 -0800 The Stranger
I do all my book shopping at the U bookstore because I get the bitchin' 10% back at the end of the year. I never shop online because I'm impatient. However, I may start doing so at Powell's because they deserve my money far more than Amazon.
Posted by Jessica]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:06:13 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Will in Seattle]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 12:00:58 -0800 The Stranger
bunch of search sites for indie stores, here's one:

http://www.indiebound.org/indie-bookstor…

Just did this myself, found an Indie store in San Francisco to send something to my mother in the Bay Area.
Posted by onion]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:46:25 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Eat the Rich]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:38:38 -0800 The Stranger Pulp Fiction--they've got one location at Broadway and Main, and another in Kits. Their six employees are all buyers, each with their own interest; for two examples, the B'way and Main store has a great Beat section, while the Kits one has a huge sci-fi/fantasy paperback section. And they're wonderful, and give decent trade-in credit--55%! if you take store credit--on used books.)
Posted by Cow]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:17:35 -0800 The Stranger
Paul: perhaps you could recommend some of your favourite independent booksellers in Seattle? The U Bookstore and Elliott Bay seem to be the main ones (plus Twice Sold Tales), but I bet there are great ones I've never heard of.
Posted by Cow]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 11:13:07 -0800 The Stranger
In order to be viable long-term, given the rise of Amazon, they either need to reinvent their business model or convince customers that what they have to offer the community something worth paying extra for (both of which are extremely difficult, but not impossible).

If they are not viable as a for-profit company, and they want to be more of a “literary community center” type organization, then convert to a nonprofit. Bookstore still exists, community is still served, people still have jobs and get paid (maybe even more jobs since they hire grantwriters and development folks, though I haven’t thought that one through entirely).
Posted by Julie in Chicago]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:58:12 -0800 The Stranger Quit your whining. Seattle is quite a haven for the homeless. Homeless shelters will be available for those whose jobs are now threatened in the cultural "sector." What goes around comes around and it looks like maybe, HOPEfully, just maybe this is the start of some karmic payback to anti-union "liberals." Nice. Of course unfortunately those who might be pro-union will suffer too. Not nice.
Posted by Mark in Colorado]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:54:11 -0800 The Stranger
Powell's is my absolute favorite bookstore in the whole wide world. It is half the reason I go down to Portland every few months.

Must. Save. Powell's.
Posted by Reverse Polarity]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:42:33 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Abby]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:31:05 -0800 The Stranger
Why is saving book stores so important? Where was the outcry when all the music stores on Broadway started disappearing? This is progress, and the future (and for the most part, present) of commerce is online.

The stores that will survive will be the ones that adapt, that specialize in something, and that conduct business online as well as in the real world. There is nothing, nothing at all that prevents any business from conducting e-commerce.
Posted by Dylan!]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:24:03 -0800 The Stranger Posted by kid icarus]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:19:07 -0800 The Stranger Posted by ivan]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:18:39 -0800 The Stranger Posted by Superfurry Animal]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2008 10:10:59 -0800 The Stranger