re: "...The basic strategy for chains such as Barnes & Noble and Borders as well as online sellers is simple: They hope to attract more customers with lower prices. The chains in particular want to build loyalty by holding elaborate release-night parties, just like independent stores do...[snip]...But will the strategy work? Some call it a dangerous gamble, because the so-called halo effect, in which customers come for one book but buy other similar titles as well, has rarely materialized. "Harry Potter is a remarkable phenomenon," Greco said. "But he's a one-hit wonder." / Indeed, at big retailers like Target, Costco and Wal-Mart, the wizard from Hogwarts is just one more loss leader — a heavily discounted brand name that brings in people who also buy toothpaste and beach chairs. / In a cruel irony, these giant retailers have become a supplier of Harry Potter books for smaller, independent book shops, which in some cases get better deals from big-box stores than from regular distributors. / These independent stores, in fact, may be the biggest losers of all, because they operate on smaller economic margins and cannot afford to offer such deep discounts. In Southern California and across the nation, many are offering the book at or close to its full $34.99 price, hoping that the elaborate Harry Potter parties they throw on the night the book is released will attract large crowds of loyal customers..."...
hat tip: Books, Inq.
No comments:
Post a Comment