Reading for Less – New Books, Part I
There is an undeniable pleasure to be had in being the first person to crack the spine on a new book. There is a unique smell and a sense of ownership that contribute to the ambience when you actually sit down and read. Nevertheless, the first question when buying a new book is, “Do I really need to buy this new?” Limiting your first-hand purchases to business books and new release must-haves will save you money and allow you to take pleasure when you do treat yourself.
I have moved almost all my book purchasing online over the past five years, but I still cannot walk past a bricks and mortar bookshop without going in. Retailers in the major chains and in the independent sector are experts in serving up book suggestions with attractive displays that juxtapose authors and themes to encourage you to buy. But beware! The costs to running a retail outlet mean that new books bought there are among the most expensive anywhere. Let’s look at some of the retail discounts commonly on offer.
- Blanket discount. This is usually 30% or less. This seems a healthy discount that is usually limited to a selection of top sellers. Unfortunately you will often find the same books online discounted by 40 or 50% as loss leaders and without the addition of sales tax when you come to pay.
- Buy one, get another at half price. Assuming that both books are the same price this equates to a saving of 25% before sales tax.
- Buy two, get the third free. Again, assuming that all three are the same price this is a discount of 33.3%. The issue here is finding three books from among the selection included in the promotion can often encourage you to buy books you didn’t set out wanting.
Do you still buy books from retail? If so, why? Let me know in the comments.
Comments
I mostly surf the Bargain or Clearance tables. My family may buy regular books if we have a 30+% off coupon, or one of the other deals you mention.
It seems only fair to give the bricks and mortar store some of our business. If everyone just browsed, they'd disappear. (reminds me of not buying the newspaper and reading it all online -- such things aren't sustainable)