On the high street, choice seems to be an illusion. Whether in Ottakar's or in Waterstone's, the lurid spines of airport thrillers are stacked by the door, overseen by portraits of Richard and Judy.
A little further along there are tables of more offbeat choices, given a homely touch by staff recommendations. On a crisp Thursday afternoon in Tunbridge Wells, housewives, pensioners and a sprinkling of students browse similar selections in the two high street stores.
Shoppers here prefer literary fiction, say the young and bouncy staff in both bookshops. Alan Bennett sold well over Christmas, and books shift here that perform poorly nationwide.
Despite the town's stuffy and irascible image, the second instalment of model Jordan's autobiography has been surprisingly popular. Which is proof, said Ottakar's manager Tracey Phipps, that "there are some books that can sell no matter what the market".
Deeper inside, there are distinctions. Browsing the classics section, Oliver Peachey, 17, reckoned Waterstone's was better. "This has got the widest range for what I do, studying classics and history," he said. "This has got a wide range of classic novels, like George Orwell."
Others are promiscuous shoppers. Rachel Burniston, 23, said: "I'm studying psychology and I get all my course books from here. But I like humour and I get those books from Ottakar's because they've got a better selection."
Angus Maclean, 70, patrols the reference section of Ottakar's with an umbrella tucked over one arm as if he is taking a stroll. "There's no great difference. This is about as good as Waterstone's."
Leafing through a book of old English legends, language teacher Steven Warburton thought the same: "Generally it's the bestsellers in these shops. You need to go to a second-hand bookshop to find something unusual."
In Tunbridge Wells, the second-hand bookseller endures in the form of Hall's, an 108-year-old family-owned shop tucked behind a church.
The shop has secured a niche that keeps it aloof from the high street hurly-burly. In an era when small shops appear set for extinction, its staff are remarkably confident. Shop assistant Jane Smith said: "A customer in a second-hand bookshop has more choice than in a new bookshop. We sell out-of-print books. We have new books too, but they sell at less than half the price that a customer would pay at Waterstone's."
Back at Waterstone's, Oliver Peachey fears the loss of variety. "If there are fewer chains, it will be popular demand that takes over." But he does not believe his own specialty will be axed. "They'll just put the prices up," he said.
