The value-add of bookstores is discovery. You can browse a bookstore. I don't go to a physical bookstore if I know I want to buy <current bestseller>. I go to a bookstore because I want to find something interesting on a certain topic.
You can browse Amazon of course, but for some reason it's still an awful user experience.
Yes, this. There's very little serendipity in browsing amazon. I often discover just the book I never knew I always wanted when browsing a physical bookstore's shelves.
You can browse Amazon of course, but for some reason it's still an awful user experience.