Good-bye, Long Tail

["Joseph J. Esposito" <espositoj@gmail.com>]

Interesting (and long-awaited) article in the Wall St. Journal on 
Borders' decision to reduce the number of titles it stocks in 
favor of giving fewer titles more prominent display.  WSJ is a 
subscription site.  The article is dated March 12 and is titled 
"Borders Tries About-face on Shclves."  The byline is Jeffrey 
Trachtenberg.

> From the article:
"In a radical move aimed at jump-starting sales, the nation's 
second-largest book retailer is sharply increasing the number of 
titles it displays on shelves with the covers face-out. Because 
that takes up more room than the traditional spine-out style, the 
new approach will require a typical Borders superstore to shrink 
its number of titles by 5% to 10%."

The article goes on to note that tests show that when inventory 
is reduced and fewer titles are supported (but more 
aggressively), sales rise by 9%. Commentators contacted by the 
reporter note that people "don't want choice" and that Borders' 
decision will favor larger publishers.

This is the attention economy at work.  What a windfall open 
access is for Elsevier and Springer.

Joe Esposito