David versus Goliath - can local booksellers hold their own against Amazon and co.

According to GfK statistics*, every second euro will be spent on books online in 2020. So will the local book trade soon die out? What do Amazon and co. offer that local booksellers cannot currently provide?

Online retailers have no opening hours - they are always open. It's convenient to be able to shop in your pyjamas at night without having to leave the house. Sometimes you're lucky and get a long-out-of-print book from a marketplace retailer. Mail-order companies like Amazon don't just offer books - you can buy screws and an electric toothbrush at the same time as the book and get them delivered free of charge, even free of charge with Amazon Prime and with the added benefit of being able to stream films and series. There are also products that you prefer to buy confidentially and don't like to put on the counter...

You can also "browse" online in the store: Amazon and co. make suggestions as to what other customers have bought at the same time... However, this also harbors the risk of being overwhelmed by the oversupply and getting lost in the jungle or ending up with a larger order than planned. Online stores therefore require a mature approach to information and self-discipline. Especially as you have to pay online using virtual payment methods (credit card, direct debit, etc.) and therefore run the risk of losing control of your spending - this is easier with "real money". Amazon and co. use complex algorithms to inspire customers with product suggestions and replace a consultation. On the other hand, this also carries the risk of becoming transparent through your shopping behavior and possibly providing online retailers with a complete digital fingerprint.

So how can smaller local booksellers stand up to the superiority of Amazon and the like?

In the bookstore, advice is given on various levels, for example according to the motto "I'm looking for a vacation book, I like reading thrillers and my last book was..." - The experienced and trained bookstore specialist then comes up with a whole portfolio of suggestions that can be discussed in person. Afterwards, you can retreat to a cozy corner and get a tactile and visual, personal impression of the books. And if you have children, this advantage is even more pronounced when choosing picture books.

In a good bookshop, shopping becomes a holistic experience. It satisfies a need that Amazon and the like can never satisfy: the need for personal contact and exchange, especially if you are well known as a customer in the bookshop. You may be greeted by name as a regular customer, offered a coffee, recommended the latest book by your favorite author.... In the bookshop you can browse to your heart's content, be inspired and look around. If you have any questions, just ask. If a book is not in stock, the bookseller will order it for you and the order times are as fast as or faster than Amazon Prime: it will be there the next morning. As prices have to be the same everywhere due to fixed book prices, online retailers have no price advantage over local booksellers. Some smart booksellers also attract and retain their customers with exciting readings with authors and book signing sessions.

And what do you prefer? What do you like about local bookshops and what do you like about Amazon and the like?