Online Book Stores vs. Brick-and-Mortar Stores

Introduction

Online book stores have recently become a hit and many people are now shopping for books in such a manner. The ramifications of this is that brick and mortar shops have strongly been affected by contemporary technology such as electronic commerce, which has given rise to online publication industry. Besides, the influx of technical progress and popularization of the internet have changed the way in which people are consuming goods due to their changing preferences. However, book stores have played a pivotal role in paperback discovery and reading culture in general. This paper will offer a comprehensive analysis that argues how online stores can replace brick and mortar ones.

Body

Online book stores can replace brick and mortar ones because they have gained much popularity recently as the vast majority of individuals are internet savvy. Moreover, online shops offer convenience and access to a greater variety of books. This can be attributed to the fact that an online retailer is cost saving because it does not need prime trading space and can operate out of a warehouse. For this reason, online stores have a competitive advantage because they can reduce their prices since they do not incur the expense of buying or renting real estate (Albanese, 2013). Furthermore, some online shops offer huge discounts for new releases while others might provide with free shipping and this is the advantage for a customer. Additionally, online stores have a larger client base because they target the global market unlike a traditional retail outlet, which is confined to a particular location (Greco, 2013). As a result, online shops can sell more copies thus making it possible to earn greater profit despite selling at a lower price (Albanese, 2013).

Online stores do not need to keep books physically because they can forward orders to publishers and this reduces costs of operations. Therefore, the lack of storage costs makes it easier to avail works on a wide variety of disciplines. Other online shops allow customers to purchase a specific portion of a particular publication, and that is convenient when the purchaser does not need to buy the entire book. However, the brick and mortar stores find it difficult to compete with online ones, which offer lower prices and 24/7 availability. Moreover, they are limited in space and budgets thus complicating the access to an uncommon book unlike online stores. This makes brick and mortar resellers vulnerable to being replaced by online stores (Greco, 2013).

Online book shops can supersede traditional ones because they are more convenient thus making it easy for the customer to get any published work at any time. For instance, online stores economize travel time and give access to any book with the help of the search engine (In, 2012). Furthermore, online shops offer readers’ reviews, comments and feedback, which can reveal more about the book as opposed to the quick glance or physical appearance offered by traditional stores. Reviews can enlighten shoppers on whether or not a particular publication suits their interests and make book shopping an interactive and informative buying expertise (Markert, 2016). It is not peculiar for the brick and mortar resellers.

Similarly, an online book store is likely to recommend a work based on some others that you have read while a traditional shop will base its suggestions on what employees like (Greco, 2013). Consequently, this is a clear disadvantage of common shops because people have different tastes.  In addition, customers can order a publication at the comfort of their homes thus foregoing inconveniences such as long queues and conforming to specific store timings. Moreover, the other aspect of expedience is that online book sellers can offer e-books, which are portable and can be accessed anywhere. When a client purchases the e-book in the online store, the volume is delivered to their e-book readers (Albanese, 2013). However, physical retail outlets cannot offer electronic versions of books thus making them more vulnerable to being replaced by online shops. Besides, book stores are not well positioned to embrace e-book systems.

Buying a publication online is not the same as other commodities such as clothing because one can always receive the exact item they ordered. The only difference between online and brick and mortar stores is that one does not get the book immediately if the purchase was made online (In, 2012). Thereby, the existence of book resellers can only serve as a specific market niche such as university stores, which constitute a minority in the market (Markert, 2016). Eventually, brick and mortar book retails will be non-existent given the rapid technology advancement and changing consumer preferences.

Conclusion

The contemporary model of e-commerce has revolutionized the way in which readers and authors collaborate thus creating an impact on book retail and publishing industries. The model gives online book stores a plethora of advantages over brick and mortar ones. In this regard, the major selling point for publications in online stores is lower prices, and this entices consumers thus showing how online book shops can replace brick and mortar ones. The price factor is imperative because nobody likes spending more than they should and lower payment can easily attract consumers. Furthermore, online stores have a competitive edge because they incur less overhead costs and can afford to charge smaller fees unlike traditional shops. Moreover, they can have wider selection of books because they do not impose any storage costs and this gives customers more options to make their choices.