The Bookseller.com

22nd November 2008

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Booksellers in a bind

27.03.07

Nicholas Clee, writing a Guardian blog, says that big booksellers are in a bind. "As critics argue, they ought to be able to present themselves as specialists, offering ranges that their supermarket rivals cannot match. But they are too large to afford to be seen to ignore the bestsellers. So they have to promote Peter Kay and Jamie Oliver and Martina Cole as well, even though they struggle to compete with the prices offered by Tesco and Amazon. The market, determined by discounts, compels them to lose money."

A lively debate follows the column. It takes just four comments for the Net Book Agreement to be raised. "Ever since the abolition of the NBA in March 1997 the terrestial bookshops have beeen fighting a rearguard action," writes indie bookseller Clive Keeble.

Guardian

Retail waterstone's Borders bookshop