I’ve been looking at financial results for Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Amazon from years past. (Here’s some similar information and a pretty thorough breakdown: http://www.fonerbooks.com/booksale.htm)

Amazon’s sales keep going up, while BN and Borders sales are fluctuating a bit but generally trending downward. Most privately held companies (Auntie’s Books, Powell’s, etc.) don’t make their financial results so easily accessible, but it seems they are surviving a little better than the chains. (Note Auntie’s satellite store that just opened in downtown Spokane’s mall.) Interestingly, it’s BN’s and Borders’ smaller stores (the B. Dalton and Waldenbooks stores, respectively) that are really suffering. These are the ones in the mall that aren’t the cornerstone stores; they sit alongside Cinnabon and Lidz, and how they make any money at all is beyond me.

In light of this, I’m going to ask that annoying question again: Does the bookstore matter anymore?
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