You’ve Got Mail portrays a story in which a small, family owned bookstore is run out of business by Fox Books, a large superstore intent on creating a profit. Its business goals include lowering prices to bring in customers, which drives business away from local stores in the process. The film addresses concepts and themes of morality, driving forces, manipulation, and personal relationships in business contexts. You’ve Got Mail suggests that Fox Books is driven by impersonal and immoral motivations which have negative effects, because their only concern is generating profits.

This essay examines the film You’ve Got Mail through the lens of “The Walmart You Don’t Know”, a paper that analyzes the impact of Walmart, a large chain store, on small businesses. Throughout the paper, the inner-workings of the relationships between Walmart and smaller businesses, as defined by “The Walmart You Don’t Know”, will be investigated in relation to You’ve Got Mail. Furthermore, the paper seeks to draw parallels between the behavior of both Walmart and Fox Books, and additionally compares  The Shop Around the Corner to Walmart’s competitors by examining the impact that large discount stores have had on their business. The writing will also examine Fox Book’s business practices and the motivations that dictate them. Finally, it will describe the negative impacts brought upon by Fox Books, as well as the immoral nature of their actions.

Fundamental to an analysis of You’ve Got Mail is an understanding of the goals and motivations driving Fox Books Superstores and their discount prices. The film seeks to answer the question: Is Fox Books’ practice of selling products at reduced prices designed to bring deals to their customers, or to steal business from competitors? Similar to the paradigm laid out in the work “The Walmart You Don’t Know”, You’ve Got Mail reflects a dynamic in which a large store seeks to monopolize the market by lowering prices and thus driving competitors out of business. This dynamic is consistently reinforced throughout the film. For instance, so intent on monopolization is Fox Books that employees remark,

Kevin: [referring to the neighbors] They’re gonna hate us. Soon as they hear, they’re gonna be lining up…

Joe, Kevin: to picket the big bad chain store…

Kevin: that’s out to destroy…

Joe: everything they hold dear (You’ve Got Mail).

Although this quote contains some inflated language, the core message still remains true: Fox Books intends to disrupt the regional book market by taking business away from small, local bookstores. Furthermore, Fox Books executives display an outward sense of joy towards eliminating the competition:

Joe: I have a very sad announcement to make. City Books on 23rd Street is going under.

(Nelson, Schuyler, and Joe high-five each other.)

Nelson: Another independent bookstore bites the dust (You’ve Got Mail).

The company’s fixation with obstructing the business of their competitors supports the conclusion that its intentions are to win over the market, and its low-priced products are a result of a business decision intended to increase sales.

In addition, determining Fox Books’ motives behind their low prices requires an analysis of their attitude towards customers, one that paints a portrait of disinterest and disfavor. In fact, Fox Books is so insensitive towards their customers, that Nelson Fox remarks:

Nelson: Perfect. Keep those West-Side liberal nuts, pseudo-intellectuals…

Joe: Readers, dad. They’re called readers.

Nelson: Don’t do that, son. Don’t romanticize them (You’ve Got Mail).

Nelson’s commentary is one display in a pattern of blatant disregard towards the interests of customers that is indicative of the company’s stance. The film’s portrayal of Fox Books shows a large company entirely engaged in creating profit, and nothing more.  With this portrayal comes the idea that Fox books is interested in winning over customers, an act that will increase their sales and begin a market takeover. Joe Fox reflects on the company’s intent to bring in new business: “We are going to seduce them…Because we’re going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants” (You’ve Got Mail). Such an attitude is not demonstrative of a company that values its customers. In fact, it demonstrates the opposite. Such a remark greatly alienates customers and strips them of their human qualities. Consequently, providing consumers with quality deals cannot be considered a goal of Fox Books, nor can it be attributed as the reason behind their discounted products. Rather, the reason behind their cheap books, as indicated by the film, is the stores desire to take over the market via high sales of cheaper products.

You’ve Got Mail, in addition to portraying business dynamics, also takes a close look at the social aspects of the two stores. Throughout the film, a concept associated with The Shop Around the Corner is the idea of close personal connections between the employees and customers – which begs the question: Do the special relationships between small bookstores and their customers override the cost benefit offered by big bookstores? In addressing this, Kathleen Kelly, owner of The Shop Around the Corner, reveals the non-monetary benefits that small bookstores offer: “[referring to her mother] It wasn’t that she was selling books, it was that she was helping people become whoever they were going to turn out to be” (You’ve Got Mail). She elaborates, “That is why we won’t go under. Our customers are loyal” (You’ve Got Mail). The film suggests that Kathleen’s store is able to provide a personal experience to consumers that is unmatched by big box stores.

Despite the benefit provided by small businesses, some customers appreciate what large bookstores bring to the table. In the months following Fox Books’ arrival, the Shop Around the Corner steadily made less money. It eventually had to close its doors. By including this plot point, the film suggests that some consumers value low prices more than personal service, hence the influx of business that Fox Books received. This desire for cheap products is what caused the rise of Fox Books and the downfall of The Shop Around the Corner. This isn’t to say that the market for small bookstores and personal service has disappeared; it hasn’t. However, the film does communicate that such a market is outnumbered by proponents of low-cost books. This question cannot be addressed nor answered through the use of dichotomized language that seeks to categorize responses as either yes or no. Instead, it can be answered through thoughtful consideration of the intricate and dynamic world that the film presents, a world in which each customer holds their own set of values. You’ve Got Mail doesn’t suggest that the close relationships between small bookstores and their customers are unequivocally more valuable than low prices, just as it doesn’t suggest the opposite. However, it does indicate that some customers value prices, while others value connections. But in the end, there aren’t enough customers interested in personal service to sustain the model of the local bookstore while the large store exists.

When examining You’ve Got Mail, the potential impacts and ethics of Fox Books’ business tactics must be examined in order to develop a whole understanding of the film. Therefore, the question must be asked: how do Fox Books’ low prices affect smaller bookstores as well as the local book market, and is the power that they wield fair? Much of the film addresses the negative impacts that Fox Books’ presence in the neighborhood had on The Shop Around the Corner. Because of the superstore’s policy of selling cheap books, waves of new customers were drawn to the store, some of which were previously customers of Kathleen’s shop. This new dynamic resulted in Kathleen producing significantly lower profits, which eventually caused the store to close down, as it was no longer sustainable. This can be solely attributed to Fox Books and the competition they present. Furthermore, Fox Books is an extremely large conglomerate which offers discounts that other businesses can’t afford to give. Consequently, all local bookstores near any of Fox Books’ locations would surely feel the same negative impacts that The Shop Around the Corner did. In essence, Fox Books has the power to dictate local book markets as it can put their competitors out of business. Moreover, eliminating competitors results in the superstore growing even larger. Just as “The Walmart You Don’t Know” describes a large chain store that exerts extreme power over the market, Fox Books has power to command the book business in much the same way.

In addition, the ethical aspect of Fox Books’ takeover must also be considered. You’ve Got Mail looks to associate a negative connotation with the store’s power, as it hints at the unethical nature of their actions. Frank Navasky depicts the destructive nature of large superstores: “[referring to Fox Books] The enemy of the mid-list novel, the destroyer of City Books” (You’ve Got Mail). This kind of condemning language is frequent throughout the film.  He adds, “Save the Shop Around the Corner and you will save your soul” (You’ve Got Mail). Taken directly from Frank’s attack article aimed at swaying public opinion against Fox Books and raising support for Kathleen’s store, this quote exemplifies the vilified nature of Fox Books that the film attempts to convey. Frank’s writing regarding Fox Books clearly imparts a perception of the store that defines their business dealings as immoral. Although Frank’s stance on the superstore may be considered extreme compared to his peers, the critics of Fox Books are all united under one commonality: they believe the store has intentionally negative impacts on its competitors and the market, and is thus unethical. By portraying Fox Books in a negative light, the story pushes the narrative that the store and their actions are immoral and wholly unfair.

The film additionally portrays the personal aspect of The Shop Around the Corner as they’re being put out of business, attempting to convey how the store and its workers feel, and answer the question: How do small bookstores feel when they’re being attacked by large chain stores? By detailing the emotional reaction associated with Fox Books’ manipulation, the movie displays the large range of emotions that the employees experience, fluctuating from optimistic to discouraged. As Fox Books’ arrival to the neighborhood is announced, Kathleen remarks, “It’s a good development. You know how in the flower district there are all those shops, so you can find whatever you want? This is going to be the book district. If they don’t have it, we do. And vise versa” (You’ve Got Mail). This reaction characterizes the immediate reception of the new store, a sentiment that contains no aspect of negative thoughts or expectations. However, as Fox Books begins to establish its dominance over the area, Kathleen and her employees’ feelings towards the superstore soon turn sour, in part enabled by Kathleen’s boyfriend, Frank, and his hyperbolic speech in regards to the store. During this stage of the film, the general attitude towards Fox Books is illustrated by resolve and animosity. Frank reflects on his steadfast position: “Kathleen, you are a lone reed… standing tall, waving boldly in the corrupt sands of commerce” (You’ve Got Mail). Yet, as The Shop Around the Corner is forced to close, this attitude morphs into one of sadness. Kathleen reveals that “I’m heartbroken. I feel as if a part of me has died” (You’ve Got Mail). This signifies that the oppositional spirit, which not only motivated the store workers, but influenced a strongly worded article attacking Fox Books, had left Kathleen. In a sense, the story implies that large businesses like Fox Books suck the livelihood and tenacious spirit out of the small bookstores that they compete with.

You’ve Got Mail, although often described as a romantic comedy, explores complex themes that provide the film with a deeper story. It’s portrayal of Fox Books produces a negative criticism of large, profit-seeking conglomerates. The story also examines the effects that such stores have on local business and the qualitative value that small stores offer, all under the guise of a lighthearted and quirky comedy. In doing so, the film suggests that Fox Books conducts business in an entirely impersonal and unethical way, resulting in a multitude of unfavorable consequences.