01-12-2013, 02:26 PM | #16 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
It is a documented fact that for a lot of people step one in buying anything is Amazon. Even if they end up buying local the research at Amazon saves them time and money. |
|
01-12-2013, 02:41 PM | #17 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,432
Karma: 25151986
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Seattle, US
Device: Kindle Oasis 3, Kobo Libra 2
|
Quote:
I can live without B&N. I would feel bereft without Amazon. |
|
01-12-2013, 03:15 PM | #18 | |
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Quote:
Would someone drive to an indie store to pay full price for the latest best seller? I googled book stores in my state and noticed that most were in high income well-to-do areas. That may be the key for their survival. |
|
01-12-2013, 04:33 PM | #19 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,531
Karma: 34583358
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Quincy, MA
Device: Samsung 54A, Kobo Libra H2O, Samsung S6 Lite
|
Quote:
Sometimes it's the only way to go. I can no longer find Purex 3 in 1 laundry sheets in any store, but I found them on Amazon and got them. Instead of going into Boston just to get a certain brand of almond extract I get 3 bottles of it for less time and money than it would have taken me to go into Boston for them. |
|
01-12-2013, 04:55 PM | #20 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 5,185
Karma: 25133758
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: SF Bay Area, California, USA
Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3 (Past: Kobo Mini, PEZ, PRS-505, Clié)
|
Quote:
And the attitude extends to their other items. I was in B&N a couple of months ago, considering getting a Nook Classic to replace my dying PRS-505, and saw the Huge! Colorful! Display! for the tablets... they had the Classic for less than $100, which was within my budget. I didn't think it had the all features I wanted but maybe it had enough, so I went to ask. They didn't have a feature list. Didn't have an info-card for it. Didn't know its storage capacity or filetype support. That convinced me that, even if it *did* have the features I consider bare-minimum for purchasing a new ereader, I didn't want to buy one from them; obviously, I wouldn't have access to any support for it. |
|
01-12-2013, 05:12 PM | #21 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
Full price for full service? Buying books from somebody who won't sell you a damaged book and tell you to take it up with corporate? As you just said, indie stores are doing well in affluent areas. Well, affluent people value quality service and they don't have to swallow surly incompetent staff as the price of saving a few bucks. B&N just happens to be positioned with the worst of both worlds: crappy service like the general retail book sellers and high prices like the niche bookstores. And then they are constantly compared to you-know-who and their reputation for service *and* low prices. It's a three front war for them. |
|
01-12-2013, 05:15 PM | #22 |
Wizard
Posts: 1,068
Karma: 23867385
Join Date: Nov 2011
Device: kindle, fire
|
|
01-12-2013, 05:22 PM | #23 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
For regular book buyers, good store operators can and do engage the customer. You don't have to be a genius to know that somebody who makes a habit of popping in the same weekday at the same time is somebody worth engaging. And ambiance matters; unless the store is swamped, taking a few seconds to actually converse (beyond canned queries) with the customer helps a lot. A comment about the book, the weather, sports, whatever... Just an acknowledgement the customer isn't just a wallet with legs. |
|
01-12-2013, 06:07 PM | #24 | |
Wizard
Posts: 1,068
Karma: 23867385
Join Date: Nov 2011
Device: kindle, fire
|
Quote:
|
|
01-12-2013, 06:07 PM | #25 | ||
Is that a sandwich?
Posts: 8,189
Karma: 100500000
Join Date: Jun 2010
Device: Nook Glowlight Plus
|
Quote:
Quote:
Maybe that is their secret. I really don't know as I haven't visited one in many years. There are two left within 40 miles of me and both only keep "banker's hours." |
||
01-12-2013, 06:24 PM | #26 | |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Quote:
You carry them, sure, but you give the store a focus and personality to appeal to people looking for more than what you can find at the nearest chain drugstore. Instead of relying on "bestseller-hunters" they can cultivate a reputation with a target demographic (or genre) and make *that* the cash cow, in addition to the "bestsellers" and a reasonable assortment of other demographics. So an indie near a science and engineering or technical university would reasonably focus their inventory heavily on SF and Fantasy while a surburban store might focus more heavily on romance or if its an upscale neighboorhood, lit-fic. As long as the BPHs carperbomb the universe with their "bestsellers" the likeliest road to survival is service, counter-programming, and followups. |
|
01-12-2013, 06:33 PM | #27 |
Grand Sorcerer
Posts: 11,732
Karma: 128354696
Join Date: May 2009
Location: 26 kly from Sgr A*
Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000
|
Or a NY vs the world thing.
http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.c...-newyorker.jpg More seriously; reading preferences *will* vary by region, demographics, and neighborhood. You probably won't be selling too many books on the joys of deer hunting in Beverly Hills, for example. On the other hand, a curtained-off side room full of 50 Shades-style should do gangbuster business in the suburbs. |
01-12-2013, 09:39 PM | #28 |
Wizard
Posts: 3,144
Karma: 8426142
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Chicago, IL
Device: Kindle PW2, Kindle Voyage, Kindle DXG, Boox M90, Kobo Aura HD
|
There can be niche bookstores. The neighborhood I live in has a high lesbian population, and there is a bookstore that specializes in books for that demographic. It appears to do quite good business.
|
01-12-2013, 09:45 PM | #29 |
Cynical Old Curmudgeon
Posts: 1,085
Karma: 8495696
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Halifax, Canada
Device: Kobo Mini, Kobo Arc, HTC Desire C
|
Of course, that can very easily backfire. A *LOT* of people'd give nosy buggers like that the stinkeye and then never come back. If the customer looks like they actually need help, fine, approach with a "Can I help you?" or equivalent (and, seriously, give them at least a full minute - they might just be a browser rather than need help finding something!), but otherwise leave them alone and wait to let them come to you for "engagement".
|
01-12-2013, 10:38 PM | #30 | ||
Wizard
Posts: 1,068
Karma: 23867385
Join Date: Nov 2011
Device: kindle, fire
|
Quote:
Quote:
|
||
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Barnes and Noble Financials | kennyc | News | 50 | 06-28-2012 12:49 PM |
Is Barnes and Noble for women only? | J. Strnad | Barnes & Noble NOOK | 3 | 04-30-2012 09:11 AM |
Covers from Barnes and Noble? | kakkalla | Plugins | 4 | 05-09-2011 01:01 AM |
Dealing with Barnes and Noble | gr8npwrfl | News | 89 | 01-31-2010 11:03 AM |
Idea for Barnes and Noble | zyzzyva57 | News | 0 | 12-31-2008 05:59 PM |