> This move will drive more traffic to Amazon, unfortunately.
No it won't, at least not from my entire country.
BD: You pay $20-$40 for a book. It gets delivered to your door (mostly, after a period so long you forget which book you even ordered). You pay a tiny fixed local import tax (around $1).
Amazon.com: You pay $20-$40 for a book + $49.95 fixed delivery fee + ~$15 for "taxes and import duties".
I have never purchased a physical item from Amazon.com because of those fees. I have ordered dozens of books from BD, aware that it's owned by Amazon, because it was at a price I'm willing to pay for a book. I will continue not buying from Amazon.com because it's way above my price range (or really anyone's) for a physical book.
This move will drive more traffic to Amazon, unfortunately.
I feel for you and your friends. It truly was disruptive when BD launched, and made such an impact on the book scene. Sad day.