On my monitor they all look the same - six new book recommendations. In reality, according to what I've read thus far, I'll only know whether the placement is paid if I click to the Amazon site to verify it. Obviously, few of these people have ever worked in bookstores. Bookstores inhabit a strange place in the American landscape. Many consumers treat them like libraries, calling for reference information rather than to check on a book.
Many people fail to understand that bookstores exist to make a profit.
I assume this is because bookstores have books in them, and therefore look like libraries. Consumers somehow then think the stores are subsidized by the government. The thinking was the person will view the bookstore as a one-stop information source and come back in the future. Most of the time it worked. Relationships were established, and customers developed loyalty.