It depends on the bookstore. Several times I ordered nonfiction through the Common Good Books store rather than off the web.
In Chicago, the only new independent bookstore near me made a snobby point about not stocking romance novels. Since I read a lot of romance novels, it would never occur to me to make an effort to give that store my money for books they didn't stock. In general, I make the effort to go physically to places like Dreamhaven - they have new books I want and wouldn't think to order from independent presses.
Or when I lived in Manchester I would order books from Northshire Bookstore (which you would love, I think). I don't order books online very often (2 or 3 times a year), but when I do it's for one of two reasons: the book is a hardcover that won't be discounted in stores, is discounted deeply on Amazon, and would be otherwise out of my budget, or else the book is of a type that my local bookstore has deliberately chosen not to stock, and thus I have no desire to send them my money (and have already had conversations with the staff there about "why don't you stock X" and had them say "because we don't want to" so I know that ordering it won't change their mind).
I rarely order books because there are so many more books I want to read in stock than there are books I can afford anyway.
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In Chicago, the only new independent bookstore near me made a snobby point about not stocking romance novels. Since I read a lot of romance novels, it would never occur to me to make an effort to give that store my money for books they didn't stock. In general, I make the effort to go physically to places like Dreamhaven - they have new books I want and wouldn't think to order from independent presses.
Or when I lived in Manchester I would order books from Northshire Bookstore (which you would love, I think). I don't order books online very often (2 or 3 times a year), but when I do it's for one of two reasons: the book is a hardcover that won't be discounted in stores, is discounted deeply on Amazon, and would be otherwise out of my budget, or else the book is of a type that my local bookstore has deliberately chosen not to stock, and thus I have no desire to send them my money (and have already had conversations with the staff there about "why don't you stock X" and had them say "because we don't want to" so I know that ordering it won't change their mind).
I rarely order books because there are so many more books I want to read in stock than there are books I can afford anyway.