Labyrinthine walls

Labyrinth has consistently complained of fierce competition from internet booksellers such as Amazon.com to justify its closed-stacks policy. But by simply removing the counter between the open and closed portions of Labyrinth’s lower level, the bookseller would go a long way in both improving the experience of students and strategically positioning itself against the very retailers it fears.

The University has given Labyrinth a virtual monopoly on Nassau Street, and Labyrinth, in turn, has shown itself to be amenable to certain student requests. In addition to having a friendly and helpful staff, it now offers a list of books with ISBN numbers, allows students to order course books online and pick them up in the store and places out more course books from classes in the humanities on the open shelves. But the store has consistently resisted placing all course books on open shelves, so students must still request certain textbooks from staff at the counter. This is inconvenient, especially for students who want to purchase used books and face the choice of buying the book they are handed or waiting for another used copy.

Labyrinth has justified this restriction by saying that, if it were to open its collection, it would not be able to compete with online retailers like Amazon. But far from putting it at a competitive disadvantage, Labyrinth would ensure the loyalty of its customers — almost all of them students — if it simply removed this barrier. Like most consumers, students are willing to forego the cheapest price for an enjoyable, convenient and timesaving book-buying experience. Labyrinth would distinguish itself most from online booksellers by providing the benefits of browsing and comparing physical book copies, benefits that its competitors cannot offer. Rather than taking advantage of the store, students are likely to be more satisfied and more willing to buy from Labyrinth.

Particularly as this economic climate encourages students to save money, Labyrinth must do everything it can to improve its retail experience and develop a strong consumer base. Amazon and its peers will probably be able to undersell Labyrinth in the vast majority of cases, and that is not changing. Students can also, with or without Labyrinth, find the cheapest spot to buy their books. But this is a rare circumstance in which the interests of the store and students align perfectly. Instead of trying to hide from the competition, Labyrinth can confront it by providing an advantage no online retailer can match, and one that many students will find worth paying for.

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