--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Booksellers initially thought of Amazon…" description: "\"Booksellers initially thought of Amazon as their best friend. They were coming in, and they were challenging Barnes and Noble, and Borders, which were ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/franklin-foer-3604_amazon_booksellers-initially-thought-of-amazon_2893282.png" --- # Booksellers initially thought of Amazon as their best… ![“Booksellers initially thought of Amazon as their best friend. They were coming in, and they were challenging Barnes and Noble, and Borders, which were the big, dominant corporations of the day, and that they would disrupt them and make them less powerful, but they could never envision that Amazon…” quote by Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/franklin-foer-3604_amazon_booksellers-initially-thought-of-amazon_2893282.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/franklin-foer-3604_amazon_booksellers-initially-thought-of-amazon_2893282.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/742/franklin-foer-3604_amazon_booksellers-initially-thought-of-amazon_2893282.png) > “Booksellers initially thought of Amazon as their best friend. They were coming in, and they were challenging Barnes and Noble, and Borders, which were the big, dominant corporations of the day, and that they would disrupt them and make them less powerful, but they could never envision that Amazon would overtake them all.” [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Amazon’s rise reshaped the bookselling industry, turning a perceived ally into a dominant force that outcompeted traditional retailers. **In simple terms:** Amazon turned a friendly partner into a market leader, displacing old giants. Key Takeaway Recognize how partnerships can become competition. Themes disruption competition industry change technology business strategy Mood cautious analytical reflective Type business industry historical When to use this quote - startup growth - retail strategy - e‑commerce expansion - corporate response Key Concepts Market dynamics digital transformation consumer behavior Questions to Reflect On - How can small businesses adapt to dominant digital platforms? - What safeguards preserve competition? A Different Perspective Disruption can create new monopolies, limiting choice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Best friend](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/best-friend/) [Booksellers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/booksellers/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/day/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) ## Related quotes > [I thought to myself, 'What can I do that Amazon can't replicate?' I wanted to do something Amazon couldn't do, and something that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-wainwright/i-thought-to-myself-what-can-i-do-that-amazon-can-t-replicate-i/) [Julie Wainwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-wainwright/) > [Who can complain about the price that Google is charging you? Or who can complain about Amazon's prices; they are simply lower than the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/who-can-complain-about-the-price-that-google-is-charging-you-or-who/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [I've mis-signed many a book Rollins or Clemens. My readers quickly become aware. Booksellers will often promote me under both names, and I do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-rollins/i-ve-mis-signed-many-a-book-rollins-or-clemens-my-readers-quickly/) [James Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-rollins/) > [“Like everywhere else in the world, the book stores of Britain are struggling with being pushed out of the market by online booksellers. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alana-muir/like-everywhere-else-in-the-world-the-book-stores-of-britain-are/) Alana Muir > [Overall, I'd say I was an awesome bookseller, but probably not the best book shelver. I loved recommending books and helping people find books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-kagawa/overall-i-d-say-i-was-an-awesome-bookseller-but-probably-not-the-best/) [Julie Kagawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-kagawa/) > [ \[Mid-list writers are now\] less greed on the part of both publishers and chain booksellers. It is easier for them to publish and sell… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-p-kinsella/mid-list-writers-are-now-less-greed-on-the-part-of-both-publishers/) [W. P. Kinsella](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-p-kinsella/) > [The problem is that so many of them are not getting told. This is a massive problem, not just in the Middle East but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/annia-ciezadlo/the-problem-is-that-so-many-of-them-are-not-getting-told-this-is-a/) [Annia Ciezadlo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/annia-ciezadlo/) > [“Discovering dedicated mystery booksellers was a bit like going to heaven without having to die first”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-mcdermid/discovering-dedicated-mystery-booksellers-was-a-bit-like-going-to/) [Val McDermid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-mcdermid/) > [Some of you...have never read a Patrick O'Brian novel. I beseech you to start now. Start with Master and Commander, which should be available…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-myers/some-of-you-have-never-read-a-patrick-o-brian-novel-i-beseech-you-to/) [Kevin Myers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-myers/) > [Speak of the appetite for drink; or of a bon-vivant's relish for dinner! What are these mere animal throes and ragings compared with those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-ward-beecher/speak-of-the-appetite-for-drink-or-of-a-bon-vivant-s-relish-for/) [Henry Ward Beecher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-ward-beecher/) > [I never think about genre when I work. I've written fantasy, science fiction, supernatural fiction, and am now working on a suspense novel. Genres…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-hand/i-never-think-about-genre-when-i-work-i-ve-written-fantasy-science/) [Elizabeth Hand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-hand/) > [“Booksellers in the gross are taken for little better than a pack of knaves and atheists.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-dunton/booksellers-in-the-gross-are-taken-for-little-better-than-a-pack-of/) John Dunton > ["Out of Print" is bookseller speak for "We can't be hedgehogged".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/out-of-print-is-bookseller-speak-for-we-can-t-be-hedgehogged/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [ Neither men, nor gods, nor booksellers' shelves permit ordinary poets to exist. \[Lat., Mediocribus esse poetis Non homines, non di, non concessere columnae.\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/neither-men-nor-gods-nor-booksellers-shelves-permit-ordinary-poets-to/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [“To librarians, booksellers, and collectors there is nothing limited in the subject of books about books.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leona-rostenberg/to-librarians-booksellers-and-collectors-there-is-nothing-limited-in/) Leona Rostenberg ## More by Franklin Foer > [Once upon a time, if you were going to get a loan from me, I would have had to look at your file, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/once-upon-a-time-if-you-were-going-to-get-a-loan-from-me-i-would-have/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [“But in the end, the hackers were misunderstood figures. They wanted nothing more than to belong, to subsume their brilliant selves in an even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-foer/but-in-the-end-the-hackers-were-misunderstood-figures-they-wanted/) [Franklin Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-foer/) > [Not even Trump's father's wealth, nor his father's faith in his son's destiny, could save Trump from incessant discipline. 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They put importance on that option as well. With Amazon, you're getting the best of both worlds, with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-winding-refn/the-digital-revolution-is-forever-they-put-importance-on-that-option/) [Nicolas Winding Refn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-winding-refn/) > [The next time you're looking at a charity, don't ask about the rate of their overhead; ask about the scale of their dreams -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-pallotta/the-next-time-you-re-looking-at-a-charity-don-t-ask-about-the-rate-of-2/) [Dan Pallotta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-pallotta/) > [“Sure we do," said Theo, swatting at a branch. "We get to the spring, Alia gets cured. 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