Amazon's not making a profit on Harry Potter?

[icarus]

Amazon.com tells its shareholders it's not going to make a profit on the next Harry Potter book.

With their steep discounts, guaranteed delivery and free shipping, they're not going to make a profit on the biggest thing to hit publishing in the last ten years?

Good lord. These guys are as stupid as when I worked for them almost a decade ago. But hey, they are "cementing customer loyalty."

Hello? Customers will be just as loyal if you make a profit.



(Knowing them they just miscalculated the costs and now are trying to cover their collective asses. The place is run by teenagers.)


ETA: In other news, now have 838 more words of Out Of Bounds. And counting.

Comments

[aerynvala.livejournal.com]

LOL re: your small print

[fer-de-lance.livejournal.com]

...No wonder they had to switch from being a bookstore to being a giant Internet Walmart. If they can't figure out how to make a profit from HP, I'm not surprised they had to make up their figures in electronics and other useless junk.

[auburnnothenna.livejournal.com]

ETA: In other news, now have 838 more words of Out Of Bounds. And counting.

Bwah! I laugh and point at your word count. Then I think, Damn, I can't pester her now. Not when she's working on her own fic. You better be writing lots and lots of sex in that story after inciting me to write so much in Seven Walls. They got their 'honeymoon' thanks to you.

[skuf.livejournal.com]

That's negative now?? No, don't answer.

[kerri]

Wait, what? Okay, so I'm all for me not having to pay as much for what I buy, of course, but considering that they are going to be selling millions of copies, even a dollar of profit per book would serve them well, and not make me too worried, buying the book. *shakes head*

[helkamaria.livejournal.com]

Pretty much none of the sellers are (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/05/13/ccpotter13.xml).

[quivo.livejournal.com]

You worked for Amazon as an intern? I wonder if they've changed at all - this announcement certainly doesn't make it seem likely XD

They're SERIOUSLY not going to make a profit on DH? Maaan.

[ivy03.livejournal.com]

There's been buzz about this for months--pretty much none of the bookstores are making a profit off of HP. Since everyone knows it will sell, all of the chains have been heavily discounting to attract customers, to the point where they're no longer making a profit.

I find this all highly amusing, but it makes a certain amount of sense. Harry Potter is a sure thing, and book publishing almost never has sure things. Makes sense that the business model doesn't really work on something everyone knows will sell.

[droolfangrrl.livejournal.com]

Re: Out of Bounds, You go girl!

[jaig.livejournal.com]

I'm sure people will be canceling their orders when it goes up five dollars!