B&N CEO on the future of Nook

[fjtorres]

Just remembered this:

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/...re-chains.html

Serves as context for Nook's importance within B&N.

Spring 1991 Outlets

Barnes & Noble*: 1,343
Waldenbooks: 1,268
Crown Books: 257
Borders: 13
Zondervan Bookstores: 126
Bookland Stores: 101
Encore Books: 65
Lauriat's: 48
Kroch's & Brentano's: 19
Cokesbury: 40
Tower Books: 13

Total: 3,293

Fall 2011 Outlets

Barnes & Noble*: 1,341
Family Christian Stores: 283
Books-A-Million: 232
Hastings Entertainment: 146
Half Price Books: 113
Cokesbury: 57

Total:2,206

1- The B&N numbers include the various chains they've bought and shutdown over the years. As of 2019 they were down to 627 outlets.

2- Family Christian and Hastings have shut down.

3- Cokesbury is gone.

4- As of 2020, the remaining bookstore chains are B&N, BAM, HALF-PRICE and...Amazon, with 24 bookstores. Of those only B&N is more or less national. (Some might count Amazon's 31 4-Star hybrid gift shoos/bookstores but that is open to debate as to what their primary goal is.)

5- Amazon is the only one growing and it's unstated but obvious reason for existence is boosting the sale of APub pbooks, much like the old DOUBLEDAY BOOKSTORES that went away in the 80's.

B&M bookselling is but a shadow of its peak. Mind you, B&N still moves $2B worth of books each year but generally at a loss. It's a tough business to be in whether independent or chain.

By contrast, Nook is basically self-supporting because of its underlying economics (no rent! Few humans!), but it also is so small barely registers in tbe B&N ledger. It could grow by 100% and still not help them stay in business.

Expectations need to be tempered.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Expectations need to be tempered.

For those that are happy to see a reinvestment in Nook, I don't think there have been unreasonable expectations. Hey, it's a 10 page thread, so maybe I'm forgetting.

I don't expect Nook to move front and center in B&N's list of priorities. But changing the amount of resources invested from zero to anything above zero is an improvement.

And as mentioned, it would give the new owners an easy way to start selling ebooks at their stores back home.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

For those that are happy to see a reinvestment in Nook, I don't think there have been unreasonable expectations. Hey, it's a 10 page thread, so maybe I'm forgetting.

I don't expect Nook to move front and center in B&N's list of priorities. But changing the amount of resources invested from zero to anything above zero is an improvement.

And as mentioned, it would give the new owners an easy way to start selling ebooks at their stores back home.

Not sure about that given both Daunts feelings on selling ebooks in Waterstones which seem to be tepid at best verging to less than happy to do so. And the bitter taste Nook has left in the UK after pulling the plug and shunting their customers off to a (I believe grocery chain) who in turn sold them to Kobo.

They’d be better off distancing themselves from nook on that front, at least for now and the foreseeable future until/unless Nook firms itself up.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

And as mentioned, it would give the new owners an easy way to start selling ebooks at their stores back home.

Elliot recently bought WORDERY, a generic ADEPT ebookstore, from a distressed distributor.
(Edit: Or maybe not.)
It might get renamed and repurposed, I suppose.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/...-for-sale.html

The company had shut down its warehouse temporarily due to the pandemic and sold off Wordery, its online bookstore, to Elliot Advisors (which also owns Waterstones and Barnes & Noble) earlier this month.

Shortly after that, Bertram's fell into liquidation.
(They move fast in the UK. Borders thrashed about for months.)

https://www.thebookseller.com/news/e...ration-1207533

Administrator Turpin Barker Armstrong said in a statement: “We can confirm that Bertram Trading Limited, the global book wholesaler, has entered administration along with Education Umbrella Limited, a supplier of textbooks and digital education resources and Dawson Books Limited, an academic and professional library supplier. Book wholesalers have suffered from falling demand in recent years due to changes in the distribution model for literature and the rising popularity of e-books. These factors, combined with the Covid-19-related closure of many public libraries and educational facilities, meant these businesses could no longer operate viably.

Bertrams' other assets and facilities, including the Norwich-based warehouse, "extensive inventory of packaging and sorting machinery, power plant, compressors, racking systems, motorised conveyors, material handling equipment, office furniture and IT equipment" are to be sold in an online auction between 1st to 6th July.

The auction also features an "extensive inventory of retail literature", detailed as "38,763 various titles in a total quantity of 292,576 books".

Not the last publishing victims of the pandemic.

Oh, and those books being auctioned off?

Speaking to The Bookseller, Sam Jordison of Galley Beggar, owed money by Bertrams, said he feared he was unlikely be repaid. "It is pretty maddening that they've cost so many of us so much—and so unnecessarily," he said. "But there's nothing to celebrate in their demise. It's sad for the trade and everyone who works there. I hope something can be rescued from the ashes—although I'm not particularly optimistic."

"Galley Beggar"?

The irony, it burns...

Tough times, getting tougher.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

Not sure about that given both Daunts feelings on selling ebooks in Waterstones which seem to be tepid at best verging to less than happy to do so.

I could go with your opinion, or listen to the man in question:

“The perception that I am anti-e-books is wrong. I am very in favour of them if I can sell them, and I have not been able to do that [in the UK]. One of the things where I differ from my immediate predecessor at B&N is that I consider the ability to sell e-books to be a great strength, and the company had stopped investing in Nook...”

And the bitter taste Nook has left in the UK after pulling the plug and shunting their customers off to a (I believe grocery chain) who in turn sold them to Kobo.

They’d be better off distancing themselves from nook on that front...

Or changing the name from Nook to something else. Like Wordery maybe.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

Or changing the name from Nook to something else. Like Wordery maybe.

In the US, too?

Hmm, I was thinking they might rename Wordery (edit : or some local ebookstore.) as Nook, but the opposite is an interesting thought. Especially if they go generic ADEPT and start to phase out the proprietary Nook DRM.

It would give them a chance to turn the tables and poach Kobo and Google customers. Plus sell ebooks to any of the many generic ADEPT readers out of china or to phones and tablets running Adept apps.

And it wouldn't cost much, if anything.

[MGlitch]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

I could go with your opinion, or listen to the man in question:

Or changing the name from Nook to something else. Like Wordery maybe.

My mistake, I recalled reading about how he stopped selling Kindles at Waterstones, though that was attributed to not wanting to sell other companies devices. But he's not picked ebooks back up for Waterstones, which I interpreted at him not liking ebooks, or being indifferent on them. It would seem, given the quote, that I was not alone.

It'll be interesting to see if he opts to rebrand Nook as Wordery for the UK. I'd think if he was gonna rebrand he'd go with something entirely new, something which ties in with Waterstones name a bit better.

Originally Posted by fjtorres

In the US, too?

Hmm, I was thinking they might rename UK Wordery as Nook, but the opposite is an interesting thought. Especially if they go generic ADEPT and start to phase out the proprietary Nook DRM.

It would give them a chance to turn the tables and poach Kobo and Google customers. Plus sell ebooks to any of the many generic ADEPT readers out of china or to phones and tablets running Adept apps.

And it wouldn't cost much, if anything.

I'm curious why you'd think they'd brand Wordery as Nook for the UK market? I doubt BN or Nook has much if any good will left there. Once burned, twice shy sort of thing, to say nothing of the questionable future of Nook currently (even assuming Daunt is being honest about wanting to invest in it, that doesn't mean the right choices will be made).

It'd make more sense to take the existing Nook hardware and sell a rebrand in Waterstones under Wordery (or a different name entirely) while also using a generic ADEPT to get that market.

Though I'm not sure how strong a market the UK is for ebooks or ereaders.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by MGlitch

I'm curious why you'd think they'd brand Wordery as Nook for the UK market? I doubt BN or Nook has much if any good will left there. Once burned, twice shy sort of thing, to say nothing of the questionable future of Nook currently (even assuming Daunt is being honest about wanting to invest in it, that doesn't mean the right choices will be made).

It'd make more sense to take the existing Nook hardware and sell a rebrand in Waterstones under Wordery (or a different name entirely) while also using a generic ADEPT to get that market.

Though I'm not sure how strong a market the UK is for ebooks or ereaders.

The last is easiest: The UK is the third largest ebook market, after Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. The problem is Amazon is even stronger there (90%+) than in the US and it has a lot to do with Waterstone's time selling Kindles.

(edit: see below: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...&postcount=150)


Edit out: (As for renaming Wordery as Nook, there are reports that Elliot wants to get B&N lean, mean, and profitable for a merger and joint IPO with Waterstones. Waterstones has no history selling ebooks in the UK whereas B&N does in the US which is the larger market.

Wordery has its own UK issues, being small and coming from a bankrupt outfit so it doesn't have any more brand loyalty than Nook. If anything, renaming it Waterstones would make more sense.

It really doesn't matter all that much since neither is terribly big in either market. Neither name has much market value.)

What Nook really needs to do is rationalize its schizo ebook strategy once and for all and go all in on a walled garden or on interoperability. Either get rid of the Adobe tax or embrace it. Selling an reader open to ADEPT but not selling ADEPT ebooks has always been silly. All it does is help Nook owners buy ebooks elsewhere.

[ZodWallop]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

In the US, too?

Hmm, I was thinking they might rename UK Wordery as Nook, but the opposite is an interesting thought.

I don't know if rebranding Nook in the US would really get them anything. It would make more sense to keep it. Nook used to be popular and even if it's a shadow now, it's still tied to B&N.

Especially if they go generic ADEPT and start to phase out the proprietary Nook DRM.

It would give them a chance to turn the tables and poach Kobo and Google customers. Plus sell ebooks to any of the many generic ADEPT readers out of china or to phones and tablets running Adept apps.

That would be a really good idea. I don't know how many people in the US care about DRM. But it does seem that the people that buy a lot of ebooks do care.

Even with the software issues, I still like my Nooks. But like many here, I stopped buying from B&N as they made it more difficult to back up your books.

[Fbone]

I thought Wordery only sold physical books not ebooks.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Fbone

I thought Wordery only sold physical books not ebooks.

The Bookseller said they bought their *ebook* operation.

Maybe they got it wrong both times, maybe they had an ebook operation too.
Ingram has an ebook *distribution* business besides their print operation, maybe they do, too?

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by ZodWallop

That would be a really good idea. I don't know how many people in the US care about DRM. But it does seem that the people that buy a lot of ebooks do care.

Even with the software issues, I still like my Nooks. But like many here, I stopped buying from B&N as they made it more difficult to back up your books.

Exhibit one as to why dual DRM's are silly.
They made it easy for people buying their readers (one time, low margin) to buy all books (high margin, recurring revenues) from somebody else.

You either run a walled garden and take advantage of lock in (the bookstore guys) or you run an open system and make your money off hardware (the hardware guys). Considering they were the ones who forced the switch to near-cost reader pricing, it was disjoined, like the two sides weren't even talking.

In content business it *usually* is best to sell what you support.

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

The Bookseller said they bought their *ebook* operation.

Maybe they got it wrong both times, maybe they had an ebook operation too.
Ingram has an ebook *distribution* business besides their print operation, maybe they do, too?

I can't access The Bookseller but PW says:

The company had shut down its warehouse temporarily due to the pandemic and sold off Wordery, its online bookstore, to Elliot Advisors (which also owns Waterstones and Barnes & Noble) earlier this month.

Perhaps the ebook store was not operating at the time of sale.

[mitford13]

I see the Bookseller refer to Wordery as an online bookseller, not seeing ebooks mentioned.

FAQ on Wordery website:
Do you sell eBooks?
No. We think nothing beats the feel of a real-life, proper, papery book in your hands.

[fjtorres]

So it does.
Now.

I remember it reading "ebook" last month when I first saw it.
It's what caught my attention.

Or maybe I hallucinated it.
Cabin fever and all that.

Oh, well, carry on...
Another pbook operation folding isn't as interesting or relevant.
Plenty of roadkill to come.