Hit 50 bookstore windows photographed, now I see two sides of the trend

Last Saturday in Portland I stopped counting my display photos for the year and it landed exactly at 50. Some windows are pure art, like the one with floating paper cranes and a single spotlight on a poetry collection. But I'm starting to wonder if these setups are just pretty backdrops for Instagram, or if they actually drive people inside to buy. At that 50th window, a tiny shop on SE Hawthorne, the owner came out and said she changes hers twice a month because 'photographers outnumber buyers 3 to 1'. Is our hobby helping or just giving free marketing? Anyone else hit a milestone that made them question the whole point?