Amazon Sets Up Shop in the Heart of the Publishing Industry - The New York Times

From a timely Amazon reality check

"The company’s push into physical stores might seem at odds with its origins as an online retailer. But it fits with Amazon’s continuing expansion into nearly every corner of the publishing industry. Since its founding more than 20 years ago, Amazon has become the dominant book retailer, and has created niches along the way.

It accounts for nearly half of all book sales in the United States, including print and e-books, according to the Codex Group, which analyzes the industry. With the introduction of the Kindle in 2007, Amazon drove the e-book and self-publishing boom. It bought Audible, the audiobook producer and retailer, and Goodreads, the popular book review sharing site. It started a publishing company, and now has nine imprints."

Amazon Sets Up Shop in the Heart of the Publishing Industry - The New York Times