This is the article from the Bookseller:

Here’s a proposal for our industry to be noticed in the national media.
Make Saturday July 21st ‘Independent Bookshop Day’.
On publication of Harry Potter 7, the media will be focusing on the euphoria of sales which the public has heard all before. If we, as a sector, promoted ourselves through professional PR and marketing, all with the same message, we would benefit substantially with this national media attention.
This is a perfect and perhaps the only occasion for the nation to be asked to support their local independent bookseller.
Here are the ten steps to make it happen:
1) Point of sale material would be created by the wholesalers extolling the virtues of ‘the independent bookshop’ with banners, posters and bookmarks perhaps promoting ‘10% off everything’ on the day, excluding HP7 of course!
2) Independent booksellers accept that HP7 is the catalyst to promote their shop, selling it at a price that would make around £1 profit. Posters would be produced for schools promoting midnight openings, the offer and not having to wait for the postman!
3) Vouchers would be created by said wholesaler(s) which give the purchaser £5 off their next purchase of £20.00 or more, a tried and tested promotion that has worked for us.
4) A professional PR company would be employed to promote’ Independent’s Day’, paid for by the wholesaler via contributions from publishers. The national and local message will not only promote the benefits of the independent but also the independents’ offer being ‘better’ than the internet or buying the book with a can of baked beans.
5) A registration form is created for customers to sign up to register their purchase of HP7 in support of their local bookshop. This would be used to start or add to the shop’s mailing list.
6) Book Tokens would lend their support, sponsoring the bookmarks or vouchers plus creating a template which would be used for local advertising (as is done at Christmas)
7) A summer catalogue would be created with a major competition prize in conjunction with Richard & Judy/Galaxy/publishers/Book Tokens
8) Use the day to create the ‘real bookshop’ brand.
9) I am sure as a ‘thank you’ for all our support; we could rely on J K Rowling to encourage her fans to purchase the last Harry Potter from a real bookshop.
10) Independent publishers would be asked to join in with a four week promotion with special window displays/signings/discounts etc.
This would then become an annual focus for our businesses in our community with national publicity.
Let’s not hang around. Launch date will be 16th April conveniently the date of the London Book Fair.

Mr Patel (proprietor Supersave, No 1 Cricklewood Broadway: "We serve all nations, even Americans and Australian umpires")said that he had been told that his shop is as good as Harrod's. "I don't know where that is", he said, "but if I call my shop Herod's do you think that would be controversial? It's religious isn't it?"

Was the 'enterpreneurs' deliberate? If so, I am still trying to figure out what it portends....Thanks for the reference yesterday. Just doing your copy-editing in exchange.

Barnes & Noble today released their 4th quarter figures, which were at the bottom end of earlier estimates.

The B&N Press Release has these pearls of wisdom about their expectations for HP7

>Comparable store sales are expected to be flat to slightly positive for the year, including sales from J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, which will go on sale July 21st. The company notes that while the release of this book will produce a large sales spike in the second quarter, it will be sold at a deep discount, producing very little gross margin.<

Now there's a surprise, Mr Punch !!!

Clive, It's interesting that the HP discounting problem seems to be just as widespread in the USA as in the UK when the Robinson Patman Act is often held up as a protector of the small trader against such things compared with the more free-market UK situation.
R

Richard

The price for HP7 is being driven by non-specialist booksellers ; I do not believe that there is any legislation on any statute book which would help small traders retain (or regain) sales for titles like HP when there is so much predatory pricing on the title.