Amazon Books vs Barnes & Noble | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Arts Entertainment

Amazon Books Have Half The Selection, But Twice The Profit

Consumer data helped this e-commerce hold a successful brick and mortar store.

918
Amazon Books Have Half The Selection, But Twice The Profit

Within the last six months, Barnes and Noble has closed almost 15% of all their physical locations, and it's solely due to their main competitor - Amazon. Physical Amazon book stores have been popping up all over the country, even though the initial way they were able to win over competition was due to the fact that Barnes and Noble only had 2% of their products be e-books, whereas Amazon's shares - or at this point, monopoly of e-books was 84%.

So what about the Amazon bookstore specifically makes it preferable to Barnes & Noble, a retail staple that even managed to outlast Borders, despite online sales? Firstly, the design and layout of the store are futuristic, but nothing short of convenient. Designed like their website, the shelf on the very left will have a popular book most readers would know. The next three columns will have three similar books, usually other bestsellers, with a banner over the shelves saying "if you liked this, here are other books to check out" - just like their website.

In addition to design, their other main competitive advantage is consumer data and the analytics done of such. Even though the Amazon Books store has a small fraction of the number of books that Barnes and Noble has, (something they defend by saying they only stock books that have received their famous 5 stars rating) but given their access to this data, they are able to provide top of the line suggestions - down to categories such as "people in Chicago love"...or even yet "Popular in this neighborhood have read."

Another benefit Amazon had while waiting to build a brick and mortar location, is that they can offer discounts to Prime members. While Barnes and Noble has a loyalty card that's an annual subscription, like Prime, most consumers of the Amazon book store have a pre-existing Prime account, which is capable of purchasing more than just books. They have also implemented augmented reality with price scanning over the Amazon app, a staple on any millennial's phone.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Entertainment

Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

These powerful lyrics remind us how much good is inside each of us and that sometimes we are too blinded by our imperfections to see the other side of the coin, to see all of that good.

146177
Every Girl Needs To Listen To 'She Used To Be Mine' By Sara Bareilles

The song was sent to me late in the middle of the night. I was still awake enough to plug in my headphones and listen to it immediately. I always did this when my best friend sent me songs, never wasting a moment. She had sent a message with this one too, telling me it reminded her so much of both of us and what we have each been through in the past couple of months.

Keep Reading...Show less
Zodiac wheel with signs and symbols surrounding a central sun against a starry sky.

What's your sign? It's one of the first questions some of us are asked when approached by someone in a bar, at a party or even when having lunch with some of our friends. Astrology, for centuries, has been one of the largest phenomenons out there. There's a reason why many magazines and newspapers have a horoscope page, and there's also a reason why almost every bookstore or library has a section dedicated completely to astrology. Many of us could just be curious about why some of us act differently than others and whom we will get along with best, and others may just want to see if their sign does, in fact, match their personality.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

20 Song Lyrics To Put A Spring Into Your Instagram Captions

"On an island in the sun, We'll be playing and having fun"

36035
Person in front of neon musical instruments; glowing red and white lights.
Photo by Spencer Imbrock on Unsplash

Whenever I post a picture to Instagram, it takes me so long to come up with a caption. I want to be funny, clever, cute and direct all at the same time. It can be frustrating! So I just look for some online. I really like to find a song lyric that goes with my picture, I just feel like it gives the picture a certain vibe.

Here's a list of song lyrics that can go with any picture you want to post!

Keep Reading...Show less
Chalk drawing of scales weighing "good" and "bad" on a blackboard.
WP content

Being a good person does not depend on your religion or status in life, your race or skin color, political views or culture. It depends on how good you treat others.

We are all born to do something great. Whether that be to grow up and become a doctor and save the lives of thousands of people, run a marathon, win the Noble Peace Prize, or be the greatest mother or father for your own future children one day. Regardless, we are all born with a purpose. But in between birth and death lies a path that life paves for us; a path that we must fill with something that gives our lives meaning.

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

10 Hygiene Tips For All College Athletes

College athletes, it's time we talk about sports hygiene.

31973
Woman doing pull-ups on bars with sun shining behind her.

I got a request to talk about college athletes hygiene so here it is.

College athletes, I get it, you are busy! From class, to morning workouts, to study table, to practice, and more. But that does not excuse the fact that your hygiene comes first! Here are some tips when it comes to taking care of your self.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments