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I own a nook. When you're in the store, you can digitally read any book in the store but can't leave without paying for it. I haven't actually used it but the idea appeals to me--

You also get free books on Fridays. There's lots of nice promotions for the nook and the stores.

There are some B&N haters here on FR because of the overall leftist lean of publishing and bookselling, but I am distressed at the possibility of losing more bookstores. I happen to love Barnes and Noble, and I never do business with Amazon for reasons of my own. Amazon is evil.

Every time I'm at a B&N, it seems to be doing very well. The coffee line is long, and people are bustling buying books and DVDs and CDs.

This is sad. Do we just get the book section of WalMart now?

I own a nook. When you’re in the store, you can digitally read any book in the store but can’t leave without paying for it. I haven’t actually used it but the idea appeals to me—

OK - so my “idea” has actually already been implemented by B & N. I had no idea - I just “thought” that up on the fly. Well, I think there is something to all that - lure the punters in with big chairs, lattes, piped in music, get them hooked on a chapter or two of some page turner and make sure they walk out with at least one book purchase.

Some of their locations really are prime spots in retail outlets - if you’re cold, or tired, or frazzled from a day at a mall, walking into a B & N is mostly a positive experience - if they’re smart they’ll leverage that asset which isn’t going to stick around forever if not exploited.