Dear Lit Loves,
Oh wow. I just had one of the most interesting revelations when it comes to shopping for books. I was preparing a list of what to read next after I finish one of the best fiction books I've read in a long time which is Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I selected my next "to read" books to place on my shopping list. Then I checked book prices at Amazon first. And when I had an opportunity to go browse in my local Barnes & Noble I considered my book expenses and my shopping experiences there. First, let's do a book to book price comparison between Amazon and Barnes & Noble:
1) Book One: The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney.
Amazon Price for paperback version: $7.44 (prime membership discount added)
Barnes & Noble Price for paperback version: $12.23
(Note that the Barnes & Noble price reflects a 20% promo discount as well as my 10% member
discount)
In terms of price, Amazon beats Barnes & Noble by $4.79 for the paperback version.
2) The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman.
Amazon Price for paperback version: $10.96 (prime membership discount added).
Barnes & Noble Price for paperback version: $14.40 (10% membership discount added).
In terms of price, Amazon beats Barnes and Noble by $3.44 once again for the paperback version.
3) Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell.
Amazon Price for paperback version: $8.78 (prime membership discount added).
Barnes & Noble Price for paperback version: $14.40 (10% membership discount added).
In terms of price, Amazon wins once again by a savings of $5.62 for the paperback version.
My total price in terms of cost for the above books in paperback format:
Amazon: $27.18
Barnes & Noble: $44.11
Total book savings using Amazon to buy books instead of Barnes & Noble is $16.93.
In conclusion, I was a bit astonished at how much more I saved on the purchase of these three books from Amazon instead of Barnes & Noble and this is taking into account that I have an Amazon Prime membership discount, can order from the comfort of my home office, obtain free shipping, and the books would be delivered to my door in two days.
Yes folks, there is something to be said for the in-store experience of shopping for books. I generally appreciate the quiet surroundings of a brick and mortar store; however, during my shopping experience today at Barnes & Noble as I was looking for these three books there was one elderly man asleep in a chair by the magazine section (I knew he was asleep because he was snoring). I had one middle-aged woman stop me while I was browsing for my three books to inquire where she could pay for her books. The store was jam-packed with merchandise and not just of the literary variety. I'm not crazy about Barnes & Noble carrying games, home gifts, and toys for children. Additionally, there was only one sales clerk available so I waited fifteen minutes to purchase my books. When I visit a store to purchase reading material, I am really only interested in literature so I definitely don't want the experience to begin feeling like I am shopping at Target or Walmart. Can Barnes & Noble continue to compete with the Amazon online shopping experience? It's going to be difficult in my opinion unless a Barnes & Noble membership gives more of a discount in price of books and also offers better in-store perks to the buyer. Also, Barnes & Noble must make some changes in terms of the atmosphere of their stores and the focus of the merchandise that they carry. Just my thoughts on this topic and now you know my reading list for the rest of the month of September and first half of October!
Until my next post,
Grace
(Amy)
