Me? They did not have the book I wanted, nor could I find a book that interested me. I left, having purchased nothing. Twenty minutes, three customers entered, no sales. Too exclusive indeed.

Or is he?

There is simply no way a tiny bookstore is going to compete with Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Borders, or even mini-New York chain Shakespeare & Co. (a mere two blocks away!) on selection. But the small guy can compete. Take Archivia Books, for example — two blocks away! They only carry books about “architecture, art, design decorative arts, gardens, interiors.”

Bookberries needs to come up with something else. Focus on children’s books and parenting, or true crime/mystery. Or even better, break the mold: figure out what books buyers of bestsellers would like if they only knew the books existed. Either way, there’s only one way to win:

They need to be more exclusive.