Barnes & Noble’s New Comeback Plan

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

Maybe an amusement park as well! Bookland! (with the exclamation point)

Oh sure, you're laughing now...

[GlenBarrington]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Oh sure, you're laughing now...

I'm serious. The restaurants would call 'Seven Layer Salad", "Seven Volume Salad"

I can see one of those sedate river rides called "Dante's Inferno" from which Disney could make a movie. I vote for alternative casting and avoid Johnnie Depp. Instead, if you can get either of them to lose weight, go for either Steven Sagal or Brendan Fraser (depends on script, I guess) But they both look like they've been through hell.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by GlenBarrington

I'm serious. The restaurants would call 'Seven Layer Salad", "Seven Volume Salad"

I can see one of those sedate river rides called "Dante's Inferno" from which Disney could make a movie. I vote for alternative casting and avoid Johnnie Depp. Instead, if you can get either of them to lose weight, go for either Steven Sagal or Brendan Fraser (depends on script, I guess) But they both look like they've been through hell.

I meant "you're saying it in jest now, but in the future when your prediction has come true, you will throw up your hands and shout 'what have I wrought!?'"

[bgalbrecht]

The Strib reviewed the B&N Kitchen's cheeseburger today as part of their Friday burger reviews, and they said it was very good (and quoted some customers saying it was the best they've ever had). It's a brisket-chuck burger, and instead of fries, it had a baked potato, broken into smaller pieces, finished up in the fryer with a little EEVO, salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese. It sounded a big pricey, $16, and I'm not sure if that include the potato side. He also said that the newly remodeled B&N was smaller than than it used to be, which used to be on two floors, and is apparently now just on one floor.

[shalym]

Originally Posted by bgalbrecht

The Strib reviewed the B&N Kitchen's cheeseburger today as part of their Friday burger reviews, and they said it was very good (and quoted some customers saying it was the best they've ever had). It's a brisket-chuck burger, and instead of fries, it had a baked potato, broken into smaller pieces, finished up in the fryer with a little EEVO, salt, pepper and grated parmesan cheese. It sounded a big pricey, $16, and I'm not sure if that include the potato side. He also said that the newly remodeled B&N was smaller than than it used to be, which used to be on two floors, and is apparently now just on one floor.

So they added a full service restaurant and removed an entire floor. I'll bet Walmart has a larger book selection than they do now.

Shari

[AnemicOak]

They went from a two level 38,000 sq ft space to a single level 22,500 sq ft space and the new space is in the lower level of the mall where businesses in general don't seem to do as well.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by shalym

So they added a full service restaurant and removed an entire floor. I'll bet Walmart has a larger book selection than they do now.

I'm guessing you haven't checked out the book section at Walmart. I know you weren't being serious, but book sections are shrinking everywhere.

Also, there's always the chance that they did away with the music and movies section to make way for the restaurant.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Also, there's always the chance that they did away with the music and movies section to make way for the restaurant.

That B&N never had a music & movies section (to the best of my knowledge, they could have added one in the last 4-5 years I suppose), many of them around here don't.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

That B&N never had a music & movies section (to the best of my knowledge, they could have added one in the last 4-5 years I suppose), many of them around here don't.

I do believe he was thinking of Hastings.

[Apache]

The B&N Stores that I visited used to have a music and movie station. The last time I bought an album at B&N I bought Two Men with the Blues by Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis. It was probably about 8 years ago.
Apache

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

They went from a two level 38,000 sq ft space to a single level 22,500 sq ft space and the new space is in the lower level of the mall where businesses in general don't seem to do as well.

So they cut about 40% of the floor space which, assuming, toys, trinkets, and checkout made up 20%, means they took out half the books they carried. That is substantial.

And since they wouldn't be cutting out bestsellers and new releases it's pretty clear they cut out most of the backlist.

It'll be interesting to see what their traffic looks like in six months, once the novelty wears off.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

So they cut about 40% of the floor space which, assuming, toys, trinkets, and checkout made up 20%, means they took out half the books they carried. That is substantial.

It's quite a bit of space to drop no doubt. It's been probably 5 years since I was in that particular store last, but at the time it didn't have as much non-book junk as most B&N's I've been to. It did have a small cafe/coffee shop (smaller than many B&N's probably because there was a Starbucks right outside the store's entrance) which I'm sure has been supplanted by the new & improved restaurant area. Also being a single level they don't have the lost space the old one did from the wide staircase between levels.

[AnemicOak]

Another article with lots of photos...
http://www.minnesotamonthly.com/Blog...h-New-Concept/

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

I do believe he was thinking of Hastings.

I wasn't thinking of Hastings. All of the B&Ns I've ever been in (including the one I worked at for a while) have a section of music and DVDs.

[John F]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I wasn't thinking of Hastings. All of the B&Ns I've ever been in (including the one I worked at for a while) have a section of music and DVDs.

Went to a B&N today; no DVDs or CDs, and they had one table of vinyl.