Other retailers are just angry with Amazon because they didn't think of this idea sooner. Instead of wasting valuable holiday retail time being angry with Amazon, maybe the other retail bookstores should spend the resources to develop their own inbound marketing funnels. Physical storefront owners are just perturbed that customers enjoy the tactile experience of shopping even though many will ultimately make their purchase online.
There would have to be a significant break in price or some other incentive (e.g., free shipping, bundled products/services) that would steer a customer away from that purchase. A $5 perk is insignificant if the item purchased retails for less than $25 since 3rd party shipping costs via Amazon would most certainly gobble up that benefit. This begs the question of how steep of a discount would be enough to lure a customer who is already at a physical retail store location to change their mind and shop elsewhere if the product were in stock.
Amazon.com is not the only online purveyor of goods with comparison shopping features for its customers. Many big box retailers have in-store product location websites which on-site employees can access via store terminals to find in-stock merchandise by nearby store location: Home Depot, Barnes and Nobles, Wal-Mart, JcPenney, etc.
What is lacking here is awareness that customers do shop this way. Having a cozy atmosphere and sweet aromas piping in from a coffee kiosk is not going to pay the overhead costs, let alone the staff wages of a brick and mortar store. Brick and mortar bookstore owners can compete with a powerhouse like Amazon by closing the information gap that forces customers to seek outside sources for reviews, purchase validation, or price comparisons.
Frankly, I don't see my local Ace hardware store going out of business any time soon, even with several big box retailers (including a newly built Costco) located just a mile away on the same street. Maybe bookstores can learn something about local area marketing from this hardware store.
