There are a couple of changes we've made that I'd be totally OK with embracing permanently. Like anyone who wants to telecommute being allowed to telecommute: that's a great idea. If the cruise industry never recovers, that is 100% FINE. Cruise ships have a truly horrific carbon footprint. (I think the cruise industry is going to be killed not by being idled for months but by everyone discovering that once you're on a boat, you can wind up stranded there if port cities decide letting you in is a risk they don't want to take. The fact that Florida -- the one state that is the MOST dependent on the cruise industry -- kept the Zaandam in limbo for days while saying things like "sure they're Americans, but they're not FLORIDIANS" without any intervention from the Feds should by rights kill the industry permanently.)
I was linking to a bunch of local bookstores last night because I discovered that Red Balloon is offering free local delivery (with a very generous definition of local), same-day even if you order before 1 p.m., for $20 or higher, and a lot of other local bookstores have very inexpensive shipping options, contact-free curbside pickup, etc. Amazon has massively deprioritized books (and other "inessentials") in favor of stuff people need really urgently and can't go to the store for -- this strikes me as genuinely reasonable and hey, people should absolutely explore local options to get books more promptly and THAT is a trend I would love to see continue.
Two local bookstores, Dreamhaven and Subtext, have a "let us surprise you" option. Dreamhaven has a "Care Package" for $10, and Subtext has a "surprise me!" book option when you pick hardcover or paperback and tell them some stuff you like or a recent favorite. I love this trend and more stores should do it. (Seriously, Dreamhaven should have a $10 bundle-o-books as a permanent feature, and Uncle Hugo's should roll this out, because it's such a terrific way to unload overstock used paperbacks that don't move from the shelves.) But letting the store pick stuff for you makes your package feel a little like a present. We all need that in our lives! This should definitely be a thing.
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Date: 2020-04-26 04:11 pm (UTC)I was linking to a bunch of local bookstores last night because I discovered that Red Balloon is offering free local delivery (with a very generous definition of local), same-day even if you order before 1 p.m., for $20 or higher, and a lot of other local bookstores have very inexpensive shipping options, contact-free curbside pickup, etc. Amazon has massively deprioritized books (and other "inessentials") in favor of stuff people need really urgently and can't go to the store for -- this strikes me as genuinely reasonable and hey, people should absolutely explore local options to get books more promptly and THAT is a trend I would love to see continue.
Two local bookstores, Dreamhaven and Subtext, have a "let us surprise you" option. Dreamhaven has a "Care Package" for $10, and Subtext has a "surprise me!" book option when you pick hardcover or paperback and tell them some stuff you like or a recent favorite. I love this trend and more stores should do it. (Seriously, Dreamhaven should have a $10 bundle-o-books as a permanent feature, and Uncle Hugo's should roll this out, because it's such a terrific way to unload overstock used paperbacks that don't move from the shelves.) But letting the store pick stuff for you makes your package feel a little like a present. We all need that in our lives! This should definitely be a thing.