Online BookstoresOnline Bookstores

Contrasting Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders

Contrasting Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders

AmazonAmazon

Online superstore Bookstore is still accessible, but not focus Homepage contains wide array of items Kindle is the focus, showcasing growing

importance of e-books Whole site serves as front-end for outside retailers Still has the most advanced features for book

buying: recommendation engine, look inside, used book sales, and packaging of related books

Online superstore Bookstore is still accessible, but not focus Homepage contains wide array of items Kindle is the focus, showcasing growing

importance of e-books Whole site serves as front-end for outside retailers Still has the most advanced features for book

buying: recommendation engine, look inside, used book sales, and packaging of related books

BordersBorders

More cluttered interface BordersMedia author presentations recreate

“bookstore experience” but may not drive sales Inconsistent ability to access sections like Perks No related book recommendations. Does have

“look inside” and “search inside” driven by Google

Weak tie-ins with physical stores Clunky interface for individual books

More cluttered interface BordersMedia author presentations recreate

“bookstore experience” but may not drive sales Inconsistent ability to access sections like Perks No related book recommendations. Does have

“look inside” and “search inside” driven by Google

Weak tie-ins with physical stores Clunky interface for individual books

Barnes & NobleBarnes & Noble

Clean, well-organized homepage Leverages physical stores: ability to reserve

books and pick them up in 60 minutes Great book-buying experience: concise,

focused, positive presentation gathering together synopses, reviews, and features

Ability to buy used books No ability to look inside books

Clean, well-organized homepage Leverages physical stores: ability to reserve

books and pick them up in 60 minutes Great book-buying experience: concise,

focused, positive presentation gathering together synopses, reviews, and features

Ability to buy used books No ability to look inside books