I'd hate to see local bookstores go out of business, even chain stores like Borders and Barnes and Noble. Nothing long-distance and electronic will ever replace the atmosphere of a physical store, and the ability to wander, browse, and hold a book in your own hands. However, I am also one of Amazon.com's more loyal customers, and not solely for their discounts. Frequently both Borders and Barnes and Noble will send me coupons that I would love to use in their local stores. Borders is an easy walk from our house, and I could easily be a frequent shopper there.
Except for one problem: they rarely have what I'm looking for. This morning I received a 30% off coupon offer with pleasure, because there's a book that I thought to buy only after sending of my most recent Amazon order. It's a children's book, and not an obscure one, so I figured the odds of my convenient Borders having it were great. But alas, no. It does no good for the sales clerk to suggest that he order the book for me; I can do that myself. It's rather like calling a reference librarian, having exhausted my own resources, only to hear her typing my question into Google.
Too often, also, the stores not only don't stock what I'd like to buy, but fill their stores with items I most definitely would not like to buy. The experience is similar to that I've had at so-called farmers' markets, which were populated more by gourmet popcorn stands and vitamin sellers than fresh, local produce.
Regardless, I'm thankful for Amazon and other online sellers. The local stores are worse-stocked now, but they never did have much of what I was looking for. How wonderful to have such resources available now for a few clicks (and a credit card).
