I agree, but I can also see a future of smaller web-based bookshops with specialised algorithms based on more uncommon, specialized parameters. Think "books about philosophy that used to be popular in the '70s".
If we're not seeing that in the present, I don't anticipate seeing it in the future. I see a future of monopolistic rentseekers continuing to make the least possible effort.
We've not yet reached a level of digital literacy necessary for that sort of niche to survive. Ecommerce has reduced profit margins for brick & mortar to levels that are almost unsustainable (hence the well-reported closures), but b&m chains still exist and push a lot of volume, and a lot of people don't trust their internet skills enough to try non-brand shops.
Timing is important. Remember the "New Economy" boom? A lot of those businesses didn't survive just because there weren't enough customers online. I say we're now in a position where there are enough customers to keep large businesses afloat, but not enough to sustain niches big enough to leave them some surplus to invest in algo optimization. I think this will change sometime in the next 30 years. By the time everyone under 65 will have grown up with the internet as a given, I think we'll see the "final form" of the new market.
