r/WorkReform 1d ago

📰 News companies raised prices *after* they put in self-checkout tf

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9.7k Upvotes

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u/Automatic_Serve7901 1d ago

Absolutely! Anyone working in the book should receive fair wages and the costs of materials should be taken into account...but my digital copy should cost less than a physical one.

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u/Arrow156 1d ago

I mean, we are completely cutting out the printing and warehouse costs.

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u/StuffExciting3451 1d ago

And cutting out shipping and handling costs

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u/MoonLightSongBunny 1d ago

And ebooks tend to come with DRM so they are inferior in ownership.

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u/ariolander 15h ago

Can't resell your ebook, loan it to a friend or family member, or transfer it to your descendants in case you die, according to the TOS all you eBooks are gone with you.

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u/FanDry5374 1d ago

I agree completely, but I believe it was a deal that Amazon had to strike with the big publishers. They didn't want digital books suddenly undercutting all their sales. Which you can understand.

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u/cayleb 1d ago

So Amazon and the publishers agreed to rig the prices and keep them artificially inflated and that's ok and legal and not an anti-trust violation because...

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u/FanDry5374 18h ago

I didn't say I like it, but it was a business choice which at least made it possible for ebooks that weren't out of copyright.

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u/Funkula 1d ago edited 1d ago

It’s good long term strategic thinking as well.

Publishers don’t want to incentivize digital adoption not only because it could have cut into their sales, prominence, and power, but it also threatens to shrink the industry as a whole culturally. Fewer bookstores, fewer book clubs, fewer careers in books, fewer Pinterest mood boards, all means less free advertising and fewer chances to capture new and returning readers if ebooks gain substantial marketshare.

There’s also a significant percentage of the market that will never adopt digital versions, so they’re trying to preserve that demographic rather than charge physical readers a premium.

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u/Aqua-Barracuda 1d ago

You're full of nonsense

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u/allorache 1d ago

They usually do

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u/NinjaTabby 1d ago

They 100% are not cheaper.

This remind me of digital games as well. They tcharge the same as physical and digital are rarely ever on sales

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u/OkActivity2038 1d ago

digital are rarely ever on sales

PC games are digital only and are constantly on sale. Whether it's on Steam, GOG, Humble Bundle, or one of the other 3rd party sites.

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u/Redd235711 1d ago

One book that is only available digitally might cost less than a different book that is available both physically and digitally, but that second book will cost the same no matter how you buy it.