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Remember the time when “bookstore” meant the neighborhood shop owned by friendly Mr. Smith who knew you and your parents? Well, now there are a whole range of bookstore formats available. In addition to the independent bookstores, the two other format that constitute a large part of sales are chain bookstores (like Barnes and Noble) and online bookstores (like Amazon.com). These new formats have changed the way people shop for books and it is not surprising that they are growing extremely fast not just in the cities but in the interior areas as well. Another format that has sprung up recently and is doing well is the specialty bookstore that keeps books that cater only to a particular audience.
Each bookstore format differentiates itself by the range of books it offers, the prices, the service level, the shopping experience and the availability of rare books. Thus while some bookstore formats may overall be more popular than other bookstore formats, each of these has a specific audience whose needs they fulfill.
Two other types of bookstores that are especially popular amongst the student community are the used book stores and the on-campus bookstores. The latter can be found on most university campuses and they specialize in selling recommended textbooks to students.
The other trend in bookstores is the expansion of the range of items offered. Traditionally a bookstore offered just books or at most, stationery. Nowadays, even the average sized bookstore sells tapes, CDs, videos, DVDs, even gifts and souvenirs, in addition to books. In fact, many bookstores also have a seating area or a café. Bookstores are thus becoming more than bookstores in an effort to lure more customers in and to increase the space utilization. They are becoming hang-out joints!
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