I wouldn't be surprised to see Amazon inviting specialty bookstores into its marketplace, rather than competing. But operating side by side with competitors requires attention to fair play and good behavior. Otherwise, expect your alliance to fall apart as other alliances have. Don't try to dominate the alliance. The company with the best product and service at the best price will make the sale.
Digital markets are near-perfect.
Respect what your competitors offer. Sell your benefits, not their faults. We're building markets here. The first step is to learn how to share these new channels. The downturn in the tech economy isn't as gloomy as you might expect.