Good news for book lovers who lament the shrinking number of bookstores across our city: Amazon Books is coming to Austin in 2018, landing at the Domain Northside.
If you're not familiar with the concept yet, Amazon Books selects literature to promote based on popularity: Amazon.com reviews, pre-orders, sales, customer ratings and popularity on Goodreads. Books are placed with their covers facing outwards on shelves—not lined sideways with their binders showing—in order to draw in readers with a strong visual component. Essentially, shoppers are encouraged to purchase books based more on social appeal—which, some might say, reduces the chance of discovering titles on your own. Of course, Echos and Kindles are also sold at Amazon Books.
Amazon hasn't yet announced the Domain Northside location on its stores site, but it has posted a job listing for a store manager, requesting qualities, among other things, that include "a deep understanding of Amazon devices and the Amazon ecosystem." Ya think?
According to recently posted signage at the future store (located across the street from Flower Child), Amazon Books will open sometime in 2018. It will be the first of its kind in Texas.
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