Chicago's Indie Booksellers Blast Plans For New Amazon Store

Amazon is opening a bookstore in Chicago, offering a brick-and-mortar extension of their online inventory, which accounts for nearly half of all new book purchases by some estimates. Amazon already has a physical bookstore in Seattle — where the online retail giant is based — and it has plans to open locations in San Diego and Portland, as well.

In Chicago, local booksellers protested Amazon's plans with an open letter accusing the company of destroying retail jobs and reducing the state's tax revenue through out-of-state, online sales.

Here & Now's Jeremy Hobson talks to the owners of two independent bookstores in the Chicago area: Lynn Mooney, co-owner of Women & Children First, and Becky Anderson, who owns Anderson's Bookshops.

Lynn Mooney, co-owner of Women & Children First in Chicago. The store tweets @wcfbook.

Becky Anderson, owner of Anderson's Bookshops. The store tweets @AndersonsBkshp.