Kepler's - death of independent bookstore a missed opportunity?

Kepler's - death of independent bookstore a missed opportunity?
Rhett Butler, mongabay.com
September 9, 2005

MENLO PARK - Last week Kepler's bookstore in Menlo Park suddenly and unexpectedly closed its doors after 50 years of bookselling on the Peninsula. The independent bookseller was considered one of California's literary landmarks, a place where well-read employees could make informed recommendations on virtually any genre. While high rent is reported to have played a role in the closure, Kepler's employees cited slow sales and competition from discount and online retailers as reasons for shutting the doors.

While the environment has become tougher for independent bookstores, did Kepler's really need to close? Could Kepler's have merged some of the benefits from online retailers while harnessing the advantages of the pleasure of an in-store experience? By teaming up with an online major like Amazon.com, Kepler's might have been able to improve its customer experience while building its margins and traffic.

Under one possible arrangement, Kepler's could install kiosks that would enable in-store customers to browse books on Amazon.com -- often books that Kepler's did not carry in its inventory. If the customer placed an order with Amazon through the in-store computers, Kepler's would earn an "Amazon Associates" commission -- currently on the order of 3-7%, and the customer would avoid shipping charges because Amazon would be making regular shipments to Kepler's. Kepler's would benefit by reduced inventory costs, getting the sales comission, improving customer satisfaction by offering books not otherwise available to Kepler's browsers, and attracting customers back to the store when they returned to pick up their Amazon orders. Kepler's customers would see a wider selection of books, free shipping on all orders, and a business model that supports their local independent bookseller. Those customers willing to pay an "impulse premium" could buy books off the shelf at regular prices. Customers could eliminate the guilty feeling of going to Kepler's to browse books and then returning home to buy them at a discount online, while Keplers would have a sustainable business model that could attract investor capital.

Penn Ayers Butler contributed to this editorial.

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