A visit to the new Amazon Books Store

Dick and I went to check out the new amazonbooks store at University Village in Seattle. It was pretty much what I expected, having read a bit about it already, but I did really like it.

The irony of the store is not lost on me. The fact that there is now an actual brick and mortar (literally) amazon bookstore is very ironic, made even more-so that I was reminded how much I actually used to enjoy browsing around book stores! (a bit of a sad statement.)

Truth be told, Dick and I both have been doing a lot more reading over the last few years, due to our kindles. We love our kindles, and we both read them daily. They are amazing on a daily basis, but are absolutely incredible to have when traveling. We read a LOT more than ever before, which is wonderful in so many ways.

Because of this, and because of amazon.com I haven't had a need to go to a bookstore in years. I think the last physical books I bought were Harry Potter books (before I got my Kindle) and also the latest "Tales of the City" books, which I have bought at bookstores during signings with the author. Other than that, it's been digital all the way.

So, Dick LOVED the amazon book store. I liked it, but he really loved it.

The big thing is that the prices are the same as what they are at amazon.com. All you need to do is scan a book (from your phone or at a kiosk) to see how much the book costs. No price tags on books, because the prices are always changing. This means that if there is a sale for one day on amazon.com, that same item (whether it be a book, or one of their electronics) will also be the same price that day at the store.

I liked the size of the store. It was a good sized store, without being too large. To me, this meant that they had most popular things that you may be looking for, but not every single book that you may want. I found this good, as it wasn't too overwhelming. Dick wished it were larger.

I liked how they had things displayed - very much like a traditional bookstore, featuring best sellers, etc., I have found it difficult to browse for a new book online. There's something nice about seeing the physical book, flipping through the pages, and seeing the actual size of it, too.

It'll be interesting to see how this store does, and how they expand upon it. Based on what I've seen and read so far, I think this store will be very successful.