Walmart and amazon.com are saving consumers money on a few choice bestsellers by offering them for less than cost; I would imagine this will make it very difficult for anyone not named Sam or Jeff to sell Sarah Palin's Going Rogue for a profit this fall. According to the article below, you can buy a copy of Palin's book for $9 at either megastore:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091016/ap_on_bi_ge/us_wal_mart_book_price_war
Although I won't be Going Rogue this November, or going anywhere else most likely, it is with disappointment that I recognize that these two large companies--indeed, the 500-pound guerillas of the retail world--more or less have me trained to look for their discounts first before I shop for anything these days. I imagine my experience is like that of millions of other Americans in that we don't feel we can afford NOT to check out the low prices at Walmart or amazon.com. It is important to recognize that neither company has a monopoly on low price, and in fact, both companies are doing what every succesful company in the history of retail has done--bring people in with specific low-priced items and then sell them other products before they leave.
It's intriguing to think about how "un-Rogue" the "Going" is if one is purchasing the product from the local (read "global") monopoly--be it a virtual storefront or big-box environment. Am I going out on a limb here if I guess that shopping at Walmart is part of Politician Palin's rogue agenda for her nation? I can't say for certain, but she just doesn't strike me as an amazon.com kind of girl.
Alex Kudera’s award-winning novel, Fight for Your Long Day (Atticus Books), was drafted in a walk-in closet during a summer in Seoul, South Korea. Auggie’s Revenge (Beating Windward Press) is his second novel. His numerous short stories include “Frade Killed Ellen” (Dutch Kills Press), “Bombing from Above” (Heavy Feather Review), and “A Thanksgiving” (Eclectica Magazine).
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