Book Stores

[jbcohen]

With all this talk of Borders books and their series financial troubles I am interested what you think the likelihood of having more wide spread industry wide financial troubles in the book selling business is. What do you think the likelihood that Barns and Nobles and/or Books A Million will have troubles? What is your analysis of the situation? I would hate to have book selling down to a one option industry, I have nothing against Amazon at all (great company and great products) I would prefer not to have any book store be a monopoly, I don't like monopolies.

[SensualPoet]

Barnes and Nobles already have problems ...

In Canada, Chapters/Indigo are ok but they are selling candles and toys next to the Sherlock Holmes. Books have become pretty expensive: a new hardcover is a half day's wages after taxes (around $30) ... any surprise that a typical ebook, at $10 or less, is more attractive?

I grew up trolling bookstores ... but until the Kobo came out, it was some years since I had spent any serious money in Chapters/Indigo or its predecessors. Book are expensive and, in an age where television views with the Internet and Facebook for attention, it's little wonder paperbacks get short shrift. Given that ... yes, there will be fewer bookstores in 2012 than there were in 2010.

[Fbone]

For those with epub devices, a Border's closure would give us one less retailer to purchase ebooks.

And it would most likely hurt Kobo ereader sales.

Indigo's 4th quarter ends around May 31st so we won't know until then their 2010 sales numbers.

[david_e]

Thinking about my nearest Barnes and Noble, I wonder if they would focus on selling books, and not the other myriad things they sell, would they still be in such a bad financial position?

Of the floor layout, 20% is a Starbucks and seating area, 10% is devoted to magazines, 5% to the checkout area, 5% devoted to games, 25% devoted to DVDs and CDs. That leaves just 35% of the floor space for their intended business, books. I can't think of any other business that dedicates so little space to their core product.

[BenBanned]

I don't really care too much for B&N or Borders, but I can spend hours in a used book store.

[HarryT]

We are already essentially in a monopoly situation in the UK; Waterstones now dominate the book market as far as bricks and mortar stores are concerned.

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by HarryT

We are already essentially in a monopoly situation in the UK; Waterstones now dominate the book market as far as bricks and mortar stores are concerned.

And as Waterstones is part of the HMV chain who are currently going through a difficult trading spell, one wonders what the future will bring....

[taming]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

In Canada, Chapters/Indigo are ok but they are selling candles and toys next to the Sherlock Holmes. Books have become pretty expensive: a new hardcover is a half day's wages after taxes (around $30) ... any surprise that a typical ebook, at $10 or less, is more attractive?...

I grew up trolling bookstores ... but until the Kobo came out, it was some years since I had spent any serious money in Chapters/Indigo or its predecessors.

I hadn't really thought about how I use the actual bricks and mortar Chapter's stores, but come to think of it, I go there only to buy books as gifts, especially for new babies/young children and to buy gift cards, also as gifts, for my older nieces and nephews. Before I bought my eReader, a Kobo, I had been purchasing almost all of my own books on line, sometimes through amazon.ca, sometimes through Chapters-Indigo.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by GeoffC

And as Waterstones is part of the HMV chain who are currently going through a difficult trading spell, one wonders what the future will bring....

Although they are owned by HMV, the Waterstones part of the business is (unlike the music stores) profitable. If anything, it's the part which is going to survive.

[Tamara]

B&N closed in my town last year and Waldenbooks closed about two years ago. We have two Books A Million in a county the size of Delaware.

[SensualPoet]

Originally Posted by taming

I hadn't really thought about how I use the actual bricks and mortar Chapter's stores, but come to think of it, I go there only to buy books as gifts, especially for new babies/young children and to buy gift cards, also as gifts, for my older nieces and nephews. Before I bought my eReader, a Kobo, I had been purchasing almost all of my own books on line, sometimes through amazon.ca, sometimes through Chapters-Indigo.

I used to give books as gifts and that was my major book purchase every year. Chapters/Indigo/Kobo is getting real money from me again -- all as ebooks (and the Kobo itself).

The very last time I bought a book at Chapters/Indigo B&M, it was $22. I got tome, and Chapters/Indigo was selling it for $16 online, amazon.com for $11 online. That was a couple of years ago. Coupled with the sad online experience Chapters/Indigo has typically presented, Amazon (.com and .ca and even .co.uk) has been practically my sole source of book buying for several years.

I do hope that kobobooks.com is doing some serious work behind the scenes to improve the search function and recommendation engine. I genuinely browse (and tag to my wishlist) at Amazon; at kobobooks, not so much.

[mountain_lion]

I really enjoy visiting B&N only to see the cover of New Books and the movies' soundtracks section. But is a lot easier to get books online, and receive them at home... I guess their book sales will decline in time.
It sounds like a good case analysis for marketing class...

[jbcohen]

you have a monopoly situation in England unless you have an ereader and access to a PC, in which case you have other options .

What is your analysis of the situation in the book selling business?

[elcreative]

Waterstones is not the only book retailer in the UK, just probably the best range, W H Smiths (a chain with outlets in every city, most towns etc.) has somewhat lost its way but is still a bookstore, there are still quite a few independents, a couple of towns devoted to selling books and (for the bestsellers) most supermarket chains... not exactly a monopoly... Being dominant does not equal a monopoly!

Originally Posted by jbcohen

you have a monopoly situation in England unless you have an ereader and access to a PC, in which case you have other options .

What is your analysis of the situation in the book selling business?

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by elcreative

Waterstones is not the only book retailer in the UK, just probably the best range, W H Smiths (a chain with outlets in every city, most towns etc.) has somewhat lost its way but is still a bookstore, there are still quite a few independents, a couple of towns devoted to selling books and (for the bestsellers) most supermarket chains... not exactly a monopoly... Being dominant does not equal a monopoly!

You're right: I'd entirely forgotten about W.H. Smith's. Their book department in my local branch is so awful that I never think of going there for books.