THE digital onslaught of e-books and Amazon-style e-tailers have put bookstores in an existential predicament. Digital books are expected to outsell print titles by 2015 in Britain, says Sam Hancock, digital product manager at HarperCollins, and even sooner in America. So, what is the future of the bookstore?
There are plenty of ways to delight the bookstore customer, but few are easily
monetised. The consensus is that bookstores need to become cultural destinations
where people are prepared to pay good money to hear a concert, see a film or
attend a talk. The programming will have to be intelligent and the space
comfortable. Given how common it is for shoppers to browse in shops only to buy
online later, some wonder whether it makes sense to charge people for the
privilege. Victoria Barnsley, head of HarperCollins, thinks it might be a good
idea. She cited similar experiments among clothing retailers to charge customers
for trying on merchandise. (Only 35% of fiction in Britain is bought in a
physical store, says Ms Barnsley.)
