This weekend I bought three books on Amazon — for less than $30. 

This is a really low price for books — each of them was originally $16.99 — and I was glad to be able to purchase books for so little money. 

After considering this, I thought about how much Amazon has taken over the world of books and how much this has hurt bookstores. 

Amazon uses books to make up for the loss of money earned on other goods. 

Amazon already has a huge platform based on selling books, as it started out as only a bookstore. Now that Amazon sells almost everything, it is able to price books so low. 

This gives them control over many publishers and authors. 

Bookstores such as Barnes and Nobles have had issues with Amazon in the past (regarding sale decline) and this has made it harder for them to stay afloat. 

I’ve heard about how Amazon has hurt small businesses, especially during the pandemic, but I never paid it much mind because it didn’t affect me. 

It’s definitely something to consider — even though buying from Amazon may be extremely convenient, this may be hurting the bookstores that people love.