Overall economy aside, it's already a difficult time for the publishing industry. Bookstores are changing their whole stock model as they shift to selling backlist through their websites . . . the average new hardcover gets about three months on the shelf before aggressive returns hit. There are still lots of people that need to pick a book off the shelf before they buy it, but if the book has already been returned, they're not going to find it.
I wish some of the big websites would create virtual book shelves so you could look at spines and then with a click look at covers, something that would help an online browser capture the feel of quickly looking along the shelves of your favorite section.