We visited Amazon and Barnes & Noble bookstores in New York City - and they revealed a depressing truth about the future of retail
- Amazon is growing at an incredible rate, while Barnes & Noble has been struggling for years.
- While Barnes & Noble's stores are more inviting than Amazon Books', the latter's minimalist philosophy is probably closer to the future of chain retail.
- That model isn't ideal for bookstores, which are best when they can offer specialized curation and enough inventory to encourage random discoveries.
It's hard to think of two businesses with more different trajectories than Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The former is one of the most valuable companies in the world, while the latter has struggled for years and just announced it would be firing employees after a disappointing holiday season.
It's also strange to imagine the two as direct competitors. Before opening its first Amazon Books store in 2015, Amazon didn't have a physical retail footprint. Now, it has 13 bookstores that represent yet another obstacle to Barnes & Noble's attempts to turn around its fortunes. Three more Amazon Books stores will open soon, according to its website.
I visited one of each brand's stores in New York City and discovered a depressing truth about the future of retail.
Here's what I saw: