Farhad Manjoo's article at Slate, Don't Support Your Local Bookseller -- claiming: 'Buying books on Amazon is better for authors, better for the economy, and better for you' -- got a lot of attention and (emotional) reaction in the US (see, for example, The Internet Defends Independent Bookstores at Slate's browbeat blog for an overview) but apparently the Europeans don't get it: at Deutsche Welle Leah McDonnell reports that Berlin's indie bookstores find their foothold, as:
(It should be noted that while Amazon.de probably is doing okay too, they're aren't allowed to undercut brick-and-mortar stores on price (and there's no bickering over who has to collect sales tax, Amazon or the buyer, either), which makes for a far more level playing field.)
In Berlin, a kind of anti-trend is gaining force: the rise of the small bookstore. Even in this time of continual financial madness.Interesting, no ?
According to the Book Sellers Union of Berlin-Brandenburg, any profits made by the industry this year, was made by the "little guys" -- small businesses which are not going under, but proliferating and getting more specific and sophisticated with each new opening. In Berlin there are more bookstores per capita than any other German city, which should make it harder to survive, but it's the same as the phenomenon that more cafes on one street make business better for all. Apparently, everyone benefits when there are more small, alternative, specialized book shops.
(It should be noted that while Amazon.de probably is doing okay too, they're aren't allowed to undercut brick-and-mortar stores on price (and there's no bickering over who has to collect sales tax, Amazon or the buyer, either), which makes for a far more level playing field.)