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From: ritchie@hpdmd48.HP.COM (David Ritchie)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Summary of responses regarding Jim Joyces Unix Bookstore
Message-ID: <15040001@hpdmd48.HP.COM>
Date: 12 Jul 90 06:26:24 GMT
References: <1581@stsci.edu>
Organization: Hewlett Packard - Boise, ID
Lines: 25

>This lets my ask a question that has been nagging me for a long time:
>
>Why is it that in civilized countries a bookstore gets you a book that is
>not in stock typically within 24 hours, but not so in the US?
>

  1) Mileage between cities is greater than in Europe.

  2) Bookstores tend to do ordering in sufficent quantities to get larger
price breaks and/or free shipping. Depending on the size of store, this may be 
weekly or less.

  3) Tax structures in the U.S. in recent years have discouraged wholesalers 
from maintaining large stocks of slow moving books (inventory taxes, etc.)

  4) Most transport is handled thru truck lines, which are typically hubbed
in regional transfer centers. Packages may change trucks multiple times
in route. Cross country by truck is at least 3 days, assuming around the 
clock driving and fresh drivers being available when DOT requires that a 
new driver is needed.

  5) Many books go by book rate, which is not the fastest way to get
things from point A to point B.

									Dave